


Scandal

by juujuujellyfish



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-30
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-02-06 19:46:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 55,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1870107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juujuujellyfish/pseuds/juujuujellyfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that secrets have been shared, Chihiro and Mondo decide to make a go at being together. Struggling to accept themselves and their new found relationship, another opposing force in the form of Junko Enoshima attempts to tear them apart as they try to find the courage to open up to their fellow classmates. Sequel to Mistake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to Mistake, so if you haven't read that one, it may be beneficial as it would explain how they got together and all that jazz. First one will be referenced a bit, too. First three chapters are already completed, so I will be posting those back to back. Hope you enjoy this and all comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! Male pronouns used for Chihiro. :)

It was just another normal class day, the students shuffling through the hallways from breakfast in the cafeteria. Maizono was already in class, chatting cheerfully with Naegi, who was always five minutes early. Ishimaru was, of course, up front and upright in his chair, getting every last bit of information from the previous class session crammed into his brain. Standing within the classroom doorway was Chihiro, part of his hair pulled back with a light blue bow and a rosy glow on his cheeks. It was just another normal class day… except now he was taken. The small blonde took his usual seat in the front row to the far left, closest to the window. "Good morning," Maizono chirped with a cheerful smile, gingerly tucking her long hair behind her ear.

"Good morning," the programmer grinned back, bashfully looking towards his books as he slid them from his bag. Since their moment in the laundry room with Mondo, Chihiro had been walking on air at the concept of being in a relationship. It was new, exciting, and filled every step his tiny feet took with overbearing joy. He knew he was blushing already just thinking about it, so he kept his gaze lowered towards the floor as he unpacked his belongings, not wanting to be too obvious about his new found romance. Chihiro didn't want to draw too much attention to it immediately.

Little by little, the remaining students continued to pile into the classroom, and Chihiro would occasionally dart his eyes towards the door, knowing that once that bell rang, Mondo would most likely be stumbling in late with one shoe on and breakfast hanging out of his mouth. He would receive a silent reprimanding glance from both the teacher and Ishimaru before drifting his way towards the back of class with his shoulders and head hung low in drowsiness. This was how he entered class every morning, if he even bothered to come to first period. It was still a couple minutes until the morning bell, though, but he continued to keep watch, just in case.

With a loud thud, Junko took a heavy seat behind Maizono, thumping her head against the desk top. She was another person who didn't quite appreciate the mornings. Her bubbly idol friend attempted to prod a good morning from her, but it only resulted in an angry grunt of frustration from against the wood of the desk. Only a few desks remained empty as the time clicked down, and soon, Yamada slid into his normal seat behind Chihiro. "Good morning, Fujisaki-san," he greeted with his cat like grin, adjusting his glasses as he got comfortable within his desk. Junko lifted her head briefly to glare at his irritating voice before popping her head back against the desk.

"Morning," the boy in front of him smiled with a brief glance over his shoulder. With his head tilted back, he shot a stare towards the back of the room where Leon was leaning far back in his chair against the empty desk behind him. Mondo still wasn't here. Then again, he had a minute to the bell. That would be two minutes earlier than he usually arrived. Flipping his attention back towards the front of class, Chihiro pressed down his skirt beneath the desk top, taking in a long breath. For some reason, he was feeling nervous. The butterflies gathered furiously in his stomach and he began anxiously tapping his foot against the ground.

After their loving revelation within the laundry room, the two had shared a couple more sweet kisses and a small chat as they gathered their laundry before departing for the night to complete homework and get some rest. For a second, Chihiro was concerned that maybe after a night of well deserved rest, Mondo may have come to his senses and realized that Chihiro wasn't what he wanted. He pressed his hand against his chest, feeling his heart patter against his palm. Hopefully not. Thirty seconds until the class bell to find out.

From the corner of his eye, he suddenly spotted the biker slouching his way into the room with his bag slung over his shoulder. Instead of taking an immediate left towards the back of the class, however, he passed the front row of desks and stood idly beside Yamada's. Chihiro peeked over his shoulder, unsure if maybe he should say good morning, brush his hand, or say nothing. Mondo pointed his finger towards Yamada before gesturing for him to get up. "This is my seat," Yamada spoke defiantly, pressing his hand against his chest.

Mondo reached out and tugged on the man's tie before jerking him from the chair. "Ya? And I want to sit innit," he grunted and the artist screeched in sudden fear, scrambling to collect his belonging before disappearing towards another seat in the classroom. Maizono, Naegi, and even Junko stared in brief confusion as Mondo had NEVER sat this close to the window or the teacher. Chihiro blushed furiously, tucking his hair behind his ear as he kept his attention forward. The bell chimed and whatever chatter was left within quickly dimmed as Ishimaru jolted from his chair, ready to take attendance for the day.

Sitting upright in his chair, Chihiro's feet came to a stop as he bit down on his lip. He could feel Mondo's chair bumping against his lightly as the biker attempted to get comfortable within his desk. His long legs sprawled in different directions, one to his left, and the other sliding onto the basket beneath the programmer's desk. Having his heels linked onto the edge of the basket, Chihiro felt the biker nudge him with his toe and the blonde blushed, tossing a glance over his shoulder. With a small grin, his new companion folded his arms over the desk and took his normal position, preparing to sleep the first period away. The two were so in tune with each other's movements that neither of them noticed that Junko's curious glance was still lingering. Whereas the others were paying attention to roll call, she found something else to keep her attention for the class period.

The first ten minutes of class rolled on with no other interruptions as Chihiro beamed silently to himself, tapping all of his notes into his laptop. So Mondo hadn't changed his mind, or else he may have promptly kept his seat in the back of class. In the midst of typing out the next sentence, the programmer felt a tap at his left side. He glanced down, seeing Mondo's hand prodding him with a folded up piece of paper. The boy didn't want to make his lack of attention obvious, so he kept his body and head forward and snatched the paper from his peer at his side. Holding it behind his laptop screen, he carefully and quietly unfolded it. Scribbled across was the simple word, "Hi." Chihiro grinned.

From the chair on the right, with her sleepy head pressed against her folded arms, Junko watched the not so sneaky exchange. The awkward note passing, the way the smaller of the two would blush and lower his head towards his laptop, and how Mondo would let off a sideways grin each time he read the next response. It was both entertaining, and disgusting. She scoffed to herself before pressing her face into her arms, shutting her eyes to nap the rest of the class away.

Feeling another tap against his side, Chihiro sneakily reached behind his back, taking the folded paper between his fingers. He calmly laid it against the keys of his laptop as his green eyed gaze stared towards the front of the class. His attention darted down for a second, long enough to read, "Want to hang in the rec room after class?" With a sideways grin, the programmer quickly folded up the note and hid it beneath his palm as he typed up a few more notes with his left hand. His little heart pattered within in his chest at the thought of spending more alone time with his newfound mate. It wasn't often that anyone really asked him to hang out as he didn't get into the sorts of things the other girls enjoyed doing. And the boys, of course, never asked assuming he was just one of the other girls. The only thing he was ever asked for was tutoring for certain classes. He quickly, but quietly unfolded the paper and gracefully jotted down his response before sliding it behind him, placing the note on Mondo's knee.

The class day continued on like this, with inconspicuous note passes and smiles between the two. When it came time for lunch, they awkwardly kept their distance, Chihiro too shy to suggest sitting with Mondo, and Mondo too prideful to sit away from his normal crew, at least for now. Adjusting himself at the cafeteria table, the small boy carefully opened his lunch, setting the contents against the table. Across from him sat Sakura and Asahina, who had welcomed him to eat lunch with them since day one of coming to the academy. He wasn't sure if it was because he originally sat alone, too scared to interact with everyone else, or if they assumed he would be good company, but the three of them always sat together. "The weather is so beautiful today," Asahina sighed, removing her uniform coat to sling it over the back of her chair. "After class, I'm so going for a run. It's too nice out to pass up."

Chihiro nodded with a small smile, anxious for the end of class, too. "I shall accompany you, my girl," Sakura stated kindly, bowing her head. "Care to join us, Fujisaki-san?"

"Oh… uh… thank you… but I… actually have something… to do," the blonde murmured, a blush spreading like wildfire over his little cheeks. He lowered his gaze towards his lunch and Asahina leaned in. Chihiro had never been much for physical activity anyway, but the turn down seemed a little awkward today. The nosy swimmer wrinkled her face, suddenly sitting back when their table was approached by another.

A lunch box slammed onto the table and Junko plopped down in the empty chair directly next to Chihiro. "You lied to me," the model grinned with narrowed eyes, slinking her arm around the incredibly embarrassed boy. Asahina and Sakura exchanged a glance, sitting up straight and silently within their chair. Junko was always in everyone's business, especially if they didn't want it getting out. So the only reason she was over here was because she either heard or started a rumor about Chihiro. "You said nothing happened between you two."

"Uh… w-w-w-who?" Chihiro mumbled, shakily reaching out for his little juice box, yanking the straw from it. He fumbled to press the straw into the box, accidentally squirting some of the liquid over his fingers. He didn't like the tight grip the beautiful girl had around his shoulder, keeping him firmly in place in his chair. "I don't…"

"Oh, don't be silly. I saw you and Mondo passing notes," Junko cooed, rubbing her index finger against Chihiro's burning cheek as if he were a small kitten. "Not to mention, he sat in the front of class. If you guys are trying to keep secrets, you aren't doing a very good job." The boy's lower lip quivered as the embarrassment took over his body. He popped the straw into his mouth, keeping his attention low towards his knees, which were shaking at the edge of his skirt. He didn't know what to say. Everyone was going to find out eventually that they were dating. It was all the baggage that was tucked away behind their relationship that was the scariest part about coming out. "How cute. You're like a little tomato right now."

Chihiro swallowed at Junko poked firmly into his cheek with her sharp nail before he tilted his head to the side, setting his now nearly empty juice box on the table. He looked pleadingly towards his lunch mates, hoping that one of them would come to his rescue. He didn't dare look across the cafeteria where Mondo was probably laughing in childish banter with Leon, or possibly a foolish debate with Ishimaru. That would give it away. "Junko, leave her alone," Asahina grunted, crossing her arms just below her bosom with a stern glance. "It's rude to butt into other's business."

"I'm just curious about what you did to get his attention, little one," Junko purred and Chihiro grunted beneath his breath. She always treated him like a child, as if he were years younger than the entire gang, when in reality, he was actually the same age or a few months older than some of them. But because of his meek, frail stature and timid nature, many did treat him like nothing more than a kid. Especially Junko. "You must have done him quite the favor at the party…" Pinching the boy's cheek, Junko crinkled her nose before snatching up her lunch box and sauntering off towards her normal table with Celes and Mukuro. Chihiro pressed his face within his sweating palm, attempting to shake off the blood rushing to his cheeks.

"I didn't do anything like that!" he blurted beneath his hand towards his lunch mates, not realizing that he was much louder than he thought. He peeked through his fingers, seeing Junko glancing over her shoulder with a devious smirk as she completely passed up her normal table, sliding in with the boys instead. Right between Ishimaru and Mondo. Chihiro sucked in a heavy breath before shaking his attention away, not wanting anyone to know it bothered him. She was doing it on purpose. "I didn't… she's just…"

"Being herself," Asahina murmured, rolling her eyes. "You're just her person to pick on for the week, I guess," the swimmer then stated, leaning forward in her chair a bit. "Although… I did notice Mondo sitting up front today, too…"

"Asahina," Sakura stated firmly, tossing a side glance towards her best friend. "Mind your business." Chihiro breathed thankfully, pressing his hand against his pattering heart. He looked past the two, seeing Junko laughing and chatting amongst the small group of boys who sat together for lunch. Mondo even seemed to smile for a moment, but when the chipper model wasn't looking, he would look awkwardly across the lunch hall towards his new mate. The programmer looked away, staring down at his food.

Despite that it felt like the best thing that had ever happened to him, Chihiro knew that this new path in his life was going to be difficult. He didn't expect Junko to be the first road block, though.


	2. Chapter 2

The final bell of the class day sounded and like lightening, Mondo stood from his chair and hastily made his way out of the room without so much of a word to Chihiro. The small boy assumed it was another way to be inconspicuous, as this was how he always left the second they were freed from class. So the programmer slowly collected his things with a calm smile, packing them away within in his messenger bag. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the rest of his classmates filing out, but Junko was creeping slower than usual. The model stood from her chair and sauntered her way through the aisle, intentionally kicking at Chihiro's chair as she went by.

Glancing up with a small huff through his nostrils, Chihiro stared at his beautiful classmate, nervously licking at his bottom lip. Hopefully she wouldn't try to follow him around and ruin his and Mondo's rendezvous in the rec-room. It was one thing to be curious, but she was downright invasive. Even more so than she had ever been when a secret that she caught wind of was going around. The boy took in a slow breath to calm himself, snapping his bag shut before heaving it over his shoulder as he stood. He drifted from the classroom, taking an immediate left to stop by his bedroom before his meeting. As swiftly as he turned, he collided with the large body idly waiting outside the door.

Mondo braced himself, whipping a hand from his pants pocket to steady his little mate. Chihiro blushed furiously, lowering his attention to the ground with a smile hidden behind his balled fist. "I'm sorry," he murmured gently "I wasn't… expecting you to be there…" His curved lips pursed behind his hand as he bashfully looked up at his boyfriend, wavering nervously on his heels. "I thought you were already going upstairs…"

"I was, but… uhhh… thought I would… walk you up there," Mondo muttered in return, anxiously extending his hand as he attempted to conceal the color rushing to his cheeks. He managed to keep his voice low because even though they had established the attraction between them, talking to someone he cared about on a romantic level was still difficult without raising his voice.

Chihiro giggled, outstretching his own hand, his little fingers taking their place within Mondo's palm. "I was actually going to stop by my room first to change out of my uniform," he murmured, wandering past the taller man, leading him by the hand towards the dormitory. "If you don't mind waiting, I'll just be a moment…"

Mondo jerked his hand slightly, pulling the little one towards him and wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulder. The hallway was empty at this point, as everyone had scattered towards their destination for the evening, so he felt a bit more comfortable being affectionate. "I'll just meet you up there," the biker smirked, pecking a kiss on Chihiro's cheek before coolly turning towards the stairs. The boy squeaked as he pressed his fingertips against the warm spot along his cheek, feeling his insides melt and his lips curve into another bashful smile.

Chihiro turned on his heel, nearly skipping down the hallway towards his room to change and freshen up. He quickly flew open his door, accidentally letting the handle slide from his hand, the force of his excitement causing the door to slam against the wall inside. Responding with a small chirp and a giggle to himself, he closed it behind him, flinging his messenger bag onto his bed. He took a deep breath and buried his face in his hands, letting out a tiny squeal of happiness. It felt so good to have a boyfriend, and this was only the first day. "Calm down or you're going to scare him off!" he thought to himself as he quickly removed his clothing, standing in nothing but his undergarments and his uniform dress shirt. All his other clothing was tossed carefully into a nearby hamper. "Just be cool… Mondo's being cool…" he continued to chat to himself as he rummaged through his closet, looking over a couple cute spring dresses he normally wore for days out with the group. Since he spent the majority of his time in his school uniform, he didn't wear his other clothes too often. Meaning it was rare for him to put in the effort of dressing up.

Pulling out a dress, he inspected it on the hanger before holding it up to his body. The young boy frowned, setting it back into the closet. "Trying too hard…" he murmured to himself, shifting through all of his clothing to find the perfect outfit. They were just going to the rec-room, maybe just to watch a movie or play some games. Talk for a little bit. And probably kiss a little longer. Chihiro blushed. He never thought he would be one to enjoy such physical contact so much considering he never liked it when people even stood next to him. He hated it when people would come to his side if he hurt himself in gym, or got upset over something silly. Physical contact was scary… but he was quite fond of the way Mondo used his lips. Shaking his head furiously, he cursed himself for such devious thoughts. They were dating now. Everything that happened before at the party was sprung on by alcohol. Had they gone about a relationship in a normal way, there wouldn't have been as much kissing or touching initially. Just because they were dating now, didn't mean there was reason for major make out sessions every time they saw one another.

Eventually the kid pulled together what he considered a cute enough, but not too flashy outfit of leggings, shorts, and a flowing blouse before inspecting himself in the mirror. Inside he knew it didn't really matter what he showed up looking like because obviously Mondo didn't care. It wasn't like he was highly attractive like some of the people here. Just small, meek, and adorable. And if Mondo still thought he was cute even if he only ever saw him in his school uniform, than any other outfit was going to be a step up. Adjusting the bow in his hair, he brushed his bangs from his face and made haste out of his room.

"Where ya goin'?" a familiar voice questioned Chihiro as he stepped out of his bedroom. Junko stood there with her hands on her hips, as if she had been waiting for him the entire time. The young boy nearly jumped out of his shorts at her question, not expecting people to be continuously standing outside doors today. Junko, especially. "Don't you have homework, young lady?" the taller of the two joked, wagging her finger in the programmer's face.

"I'm sure… w-w-we all do," Chihiro stammered, pressing his finger against his chin. At this point, the embarrassment was starting to run from his body and anger was quickly beginning to fill its place. Junko had made her point. She was interested in whatever was going on between Mondo and Chihiro, but it was none of her business. Chihiro wasn't going to tolerate being followed every waking second. "But I'm going upstairs to hang out with my boyfriend," he sputtered out before his big hazel eyes went wide. Maybe admitting it would make her go away. Most likely not, but it was worth a try. "So… I will see you… later, alright? Bye…"

"Boyfriend?! I knew it!" Junko exclaimed, her loud voice bellowing through the hallway. She reached out and pinched Chihiro's already blushing cheeks, before giving the small one a quick hug. The programmer scrunched his nose in confusion, feeling as though he may suffocate being pressed so hard into her bosom. "That's just adorable! Although, Mondo, really? I never saw that one coming… or well, maybe I did after I caught you two making out in the kitchen. But before that, never saw it coming…"

Chihiro awkwardly pushed away from the beautiful blonde, burying his face briefly within his hands."Um… yes, I suppose we do make a seemingly awkward pair," he mumbled behind his fingers before nervously dropping his hands at his side. "But we… got to know each other and we actually… really click."

"Click or he's trying to get under your skirt," Junko said deviously, and although there was a frown upon her face, Chihiro couldn't help but notice the small, evil gleam within her bright blue eyes. It was like she was trying to seem concerned, but everything behind her words just screamed bad intentions. "He's the kind of guy who will hit it and quit it… I couldn't stand to see something like that happen to you." She tugged at the end of her pigtail with a sympathetic look across her lips before patting Chihiro on the back. "Wouldn't want him to take away something special from you, you know…"

"I'm… sure he's… not really like that," Chihiro murmured in response. Yes, first night their affections ran wild, he even admitted to trying to bed the programmer. But after all their talks, sharing their insecurities, realizing their fears, and coming to the conclusion that they needed one another, but could help one another be stronger, he knew deep down Mondo wasn't that kind of person. He was more than someone who carelessly got angry at everything, throwing punches and insults. He was just as broken and scared as probably many of their fellow students felt for some reason or another. "Those are just rumors…"

"Wouldn't want him stealing your first kiss away," Junko then pressed dramatically, placing her hands atop the programmer's shoulders and shaking him a bit. "And then leaving you… or worse, stealing away your-"

"He won't… do that…" The boy nodded to himself, pressing his hands against his chest. "I appreciate that you are looking out for me… but I think that you are… reading him… all wrong," he continued as Junko's brow furrowed in disappointment. "I will talk to you later…" And with that, Chihiro politely waved and turned on his heel, quickly dashing down the hallway before she could tag along. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough, as the model was instantly by his side.

At first, she said nothing, a quite stern look across her face as she matched pace with the programmer. For a moment, Chihiro worried that there might actually be something behind Junko's words. Unless the model was jealous. Jealous? Jealous of him? "Right," he scoffed to himself, slowing his steps so that their journey towards the rec-room was a little calmer. It wasn't like Junko had ever shown any sign of interest towards the gang leader, or that she was too shy to. She let everyone in the building know exactly what she thought of them often. Mondo and Junko never spoke, unless it was to spat horrible comments towards one another. "Where did you hear that Mondo would do things like that…?" Chihiro mumbled as they climbed the steps to the second floor. Maybe he had just been blind or naïve, but Chihiro had never noticed Mondo actively dating any of the girls in their years of attending the academy. Certainly one of them would have said something if so. Certainly Mondo would have mentioned that.

"Oh, just things I've heard… Just stories, really," Junko muttered, whimsically waving her hand around with a smile pressed on the corner of her lip. "Rumors. But he worries me, with his anger, and his temper and all. I was there when he and Leon got into that big blow up. Remember that? When he hit Leon so hard he nearly swallowed his tongue piercing. Scary, isn't it?" Chihiro's steps skipped a bit as he remembered the moment a while ago during lunch when Leon had made some horrible accusation about Mondo, which resulted in a pretty nasty fist fight between them. Mondo walked away with a bruised eye and busted lip, and Leon got a broken nose.

"I do recall Leon saying something nasty about his brother, however… right about the time that Mondo lost… his brother," Chihiro sighed softly, placing his hands over his heart. It was a little bit after they had entered the academy that a terrible accident occurred, resulting in the loss of Mondo's brother, Daiya. Chihiro had never really spoken to the biker at that point, but even sitting in the same room as him when he finally started coming to class again was hard. He could feel the heartbreak from desks away, not even beginning to understand how much it hurt to lose a sibling like that. And then Leon had to go and say something stupid about the accident. "In all fairness, it was probably deserved… but they are over that now. He doesn't fight like that anymore."

"I'm just saying you should be careful!" Junko stated defiantly with her hands on her hips. Chihiro appreciated the concern, but felt he knew Mondo worlds better than the blonde probably did, even if they only really "knew" each other for the past week. "And good luck getting him away from the guys. He's always hanging out with them. I don't think I've ever seen him away from Ishimaru! That's weird."

"It's not any different than you hanging out with Celes… or Mukuro. Ishimaru's like his brother. I understand." The programmer was finding it hard to keep this conversation going as they were nearing the rec-room up ahead. It seemed like everything that came out of Junko's mouth was just some negative spout to keep Mondo and Chihiro away from one another. His patience was wearing thin and he just wanted to get away from her. "Now, please… I would like some alone time, please…" He pressed on a polite smile to hide his mild annoyance as he pressed a hand on the rec-room door. From inside he could hear a little commotion, wondering what Mondo could be doing in there that was causing so much noise. Maybe watching a movie.

Junko, who was a bit taller than her tiny classmate, looked into the window with a smirk. "Good luck with that," she stated, taking the handle of the door and swinging it open for the little computer genius. Chihiro narrowed his eyes in sudden disappointment when he realized he wasn't the only one who had received the invitation to the rec-room. Sprawled all over the area was the boys, Mondo and Leon on separate sides of the couch, Naegi laying on his stomach on the floor, and Hagakure sitting crossed legged in front of the television. They were roaring in excitement over whatever game they were playing, until they realized two of the girls were standing in the doorway.

"Fujisaki-san," Naegi greeted cheerfully with a bashful wave as he pushed himself up on his elbows. He also waved towards Junko who just saluted the group and turned on her heel, heading back down the hallway now that her job was done. Chihiro could feel his blood boil at her actions, and then fact that he wasn't invited up here for some alone time.

"What you doing up here?" Hagakure questioned, half paying attention to his friend in the doorway, the other half watching the butt whooping he was receiving in their fighting game from Leon. The young boy stood frozen in the doorway. So not only was he not the only one invited, but apparently Mondo didn't mention they were having an extra visitor, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of this story, let's say that Daiya's death occured during the early time of them living within the academy. Thanks for reading, everyone. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chihiro stood awkwardly in the doorway, tugging at the bottom of his blouse as his gaze traveled over the room of boys. He took a few cautious steps inside, wondering if he should take a seat on the floor, or squeeze in on the couch between his boyfriend and Leon. Surely Mondo had said something about them being an item, or being here was going to remain uncomfortable. The biker rolled his eyes towards the empty space on the couch, sitting upright to give his little mate enough room, as Leon was halfway sprawled over the arm of his side of the couch, his leg taking up some of the middle space. Tip toeing behind Hagakure and over Naegi's leg, Chihiro took his spot on the couch, bringing his legs up so his knees were pressed against his chest. He resisted the urge to lean over and prop his head against Mondo's shoulder, so he just lowered it bashfully. "You've been comin' around a lot lately," Leon grunted as he tapped a few buttons on his controller, absently throwing his foot down to give the programmer some room. He accidentally kicked Hagakure in the back, which only sealed his win in the game this round.

In a fit of childish rage, the shaman threw his controller down so that it bounced in front of Naegi who cautiously snatched it up with a sideways laugh. "I hate this game," the oldest in the bunch grunted before crossing his arms over his chest, looking back to their new companion. "Leon cheats…"

"I cheat? This is about the fifth time I beat you. You just suck, man," Leon smirked in return, sticking out his tongue. He narrowed his piercing blue eyes before turning his head towards Chihiro. "Kind of nice to see the ladies coming around." He smirked and Mondo's eyes lingered protectively over Chihiro, but he remained incredibly still, like it was painful for him to make any sort of physical contact. Or any sort of contact what so ever. "Wanna play?"

"No, thank you," the small boy murmured past his knees, forcing a little grin as he stared at the television. The characters flashed on the screen with quick moves, crazy flips, and powerful beams of energy. Despite all the time spent on the computer, he didn't really play games that often. Programmed plenty, but didn't play. Especially anything competitive. He politely waved towards Leon, who was attempting to thrust the game controller in his direction.

"Well, then I guess it's time for Naegi to lose again," Leon said with a cocky smirk and Naegi lowered his head in expected shame before sitting upright to get himself in gaming position. As the other three boys focused on the game, Chihiro focused on the unsteady beating of his heart. He wanted to glance over at his boyfriend, but was afraid that even quiet signals would be too obvious in front of the group. Surely Mondo said something. At least a brief mention to the guys that he took interest in someone. Because they couldn't go forever without being somewhat affectionate in front of everyone. But he continued to look forward at the television.

The characters bounced around in blazing excitement, flinging their colorful projectiles and shouting their quirky one liners. Chihiro peered down to the floor, narrowing his eyes on Naegi's button inputs, watching the way he eagerly tapped on all the buttons and fling around the joystick like he had no idea what he was doing. There was no rhythm, no pattern, just furious tapping and shaking of the controller. Suddenly, Chihiro felt something brush against his thigh and he glanced down, seeing Mondo's open hand resting against the couch. His hazel eyed gaze danced up the length of Mondo's arm until their eyes meet. The biker silently signaled for his boy's hand, and Chihiro bashfully slid his hand at his side, interlocking their fingers secretly between them.

Biting down on his lip, he rested his chin against his knee, knowing his cheeks were probably blazing at the moment, but in the dimly lit room with just the flashes of the television, it was easily hidden. He darted his attention in the opposite direction of Mondo to see if anyone had noticed their little hand hold, but it seemed that everyone was still very engaged in their video game. Chihiro noticed that Leon was a lot calmer while handing out embarrassing losses to his companions, his fingers a little more rhythmic and precise. There was a pattern behind the button mashing. The blonde felt Mondo squeeze his fingers slightly and he slowly drew his attention back over with a chipper smile, resting his cheek against his knee now to staring quite lovingly up at his companion.

With his attention focused on the television, a smile tugged at the corner of the gang leader's mouth. "Speakin' of the girls coming around," Hagakure muttered, leaning back against the couch to stare back at the two, causing Mondo to pull their interlocked hands further into hiding. He tucked them against the cushion and his leg, Chihiro curiously looking between them. He was pretty positive he was touching his boyfriend's bottom at the moment. "Junko sat at our lunch table today. It was weird."

"Weird? Maybe if she starts sitting with us, then so will Sayaka," Leon commented just as he beat Naegi in their final round. Naegi set down the controller with a loud sigh before his attention drifted towards the conversation. "Because they sometimes sit together, you know…"

"She came to my table, too," Chihiro muttered with a somewhat distasteful tone. She didn't exactly say the most pleasant things during her visit, but Chihiro imagined her conversation was completely different with the guys. "What did you guys talk about?" Mondo licked his lip nervously as he sat up further, finally taking his hand away from Chihiro's as all the boys began to focus on them. The young boy frowned, stretching out his fingers now that they had been abandoned before tucking his hand beneath his chin.

Leon leaned forward, using his biceps to press his chest together, attempting to imitate the model's chest. "Are you guys enjoying lunch? It's such a pretty day out!" he mocked in a high pitch voice before shaking his torso a bit. He winked towards Chihiro and Hagakure laughed.

"Ishimaru, we should go outside today! You should skip homework and come play outside with me," Hagakure also mocked, placing his hand on Leon's knee as if he were pretending to flirt before pulling it back with a hearty laugh.

Although he was holding back a chuckle himself, Naegi kindly retorted, "Yeah, she sounded just like that." Chihiro smiled himself, although he didn't find the conversation to be very humorous at all. It sounded like she was trying to cause problems. Mondo said nothing still, and didn't even press a smile at their banter.

"Oh, man, the look on Ishimaru's face… I thought he was going to piss himself when she touched him, man," Leon hollered as he threw his head back in laughter. Chihiro forced a smile to fit into the conversation, although the more he heard about their blonde beauty of a classmate, his blood boiled. She was being flirtatious on purpose to catch someone's attention, and it wasn't Ishimaru's she was after. "Naegi, you quit already?"

"Yeah, I'm done losing, I think," the boy murmured with an embarrassed smile as he offered the controller behind him. With the first sudden movement since Chihiro arrived, Mondo immediately snatched it up and tapped at the buttons to get the character select screen. His little mate noticed the jerky, nervous movements, and wondered if his presence was causing Mondo to become so jittery, or if it were the conversation.

The talk quickly dwindled when Leon and Mondo focused on their match, Chihiro watching the way his boyfriend played the game. He was somewhere between Naegi's frantic button mashing and Leon's rhythmic tapping, but still not very good. His character perished quickly and the man grunted beneath his breath, already about to throw the controller. "Hey," Chihiro whispered, nudging his shoulders against his mate's with a small smile. "You're pressing the buttons too far apart... there's a pattern," he stated, although he wasn't positive. But considering how Leon was destroying everyone at the game, it seemed he had picked up on some sort of pattern.

Mondo narrowed his eyes and stared down at his hand as Chihiro's tiny fingers pecked at the buttons to show him what order he should be hitting them in while Leon returned to the character select screen. "I think if you hit these in order close together, you'll get a combo," the programmer explained in a whisper, with his chin nearly pressed against the other man's shoulder.

"How 'bout you fuckin' play since you seem to know what you're doin'," Mondo suddenly yelped, thrusting the controller into the smaller one's hands. At the sudden outburst, Chihiro's hazel eyes went wide and nearly flooded with tears. It truly seemed that Mondo was angry, but upon further staring, the boy found that his mate was probably just flustered. Chihiro had gotten mighty close in his whispering and hadn't even noticed. The rest of the room stared at them in an awkward silence as Chihiro adjusted himself against the couch, burying his back into the cushion and ducking his head between his shoulders as he brought the controller before his face.

"I'm sorry…" he blurted against the warm plastic of the controller and everyone darted nervous glances between them. "I… didn't mean to…"

"Someone just kick Leon's ass already," Mondo then pressed, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest, turning his head in the opposite direction. He huffed to himself and Leon wrinkled his nose towards Chihiro, pressing on a smile.

"I'll go easy on you," the baseball star winked towards his small friend and Chihiro giggled briefly, although he was a bit shaken by the sudden raise in Mondo's voice. He had scooted his body a few inches to the left so there wasn't even a chance that they would make brief physical contact. Maybe Mondo was incredibly uncomfortable displaying any sort of affection in front of his friends, despite doing so easily in the bedroom, the laundry room, and the hallway. They were alone then. It was so easy to steal kisses. Holding hands in secret would have to do for now.

Chihiro flipped through the various character choices without a clue of what he was looking at. He didn't know anything about the game, but was hoping that the idea of patterns he picked up would be the key to at least doing somewhat alright. He was sure everyone in the room figured this would go quick, seeing as Chihiro had never played before. The little one closed his eyes and swiveled the joystick around, tapping his button to select a character at random. The image of a scantily clad woman winked back at him and he wrinkled his nose. "Good luck," Leon smirked.

Mondo pressed his back further into the couch, coming down from his little outburst. His cheeks were still a bit red, but not from anger, only in embarrassment. Just like Chihiro, he had been walking on air with his heart in a tangled mess now that they were together. He was still too embarrassed to admit it to anyone, however, hoping maybe everyone would just catch on and he wouldn't have to open his mouth. He lowered his glance to the left, watching the way his partner bunched himself up on the couch, his legs tucked comfortably against his chest, his tiny hands gripping the controller rested on his knees. Chihiro stuck his tongue out slightly to the side in concentration, the same way he would in class when dealing with a particularly difficult math problem. Even from the back of class, Mondo took notice of the little one's quirks. He had always thought him to be adorable.

The images on the television flashed as Leon was victorious once again. Chihiro let out a little sigh of defeat, a little frown quivering on his lips. "That was close," Leon admitted, scratching nervously at the back of his head. "Had me worried there for a second."

"I want… to try again…" Chihiro pressed quietly with a gentle, but firm nod. Mondo leaned to his right, hiding a smirk in his palm as he rested his elbow against the arm of the couch. The programmer noticed the man's shift in movement to his right and briefly looked over with a bashful smile. Maybe at first he was furious at all the guys gathered in the rec room, but trying to get along with them and fit in with them felt good. Definitely a change of pace trying to blend in with the girls. And hopefully, he was impressing Mondo, too.

The fight started up again and Chihiro let his feet fall to the ground as he leaned forward to get a better view of the television. Just like when he was intently working on his computer, he drowned out the room around him and focused on the quick movements of his character, and the way Leon easily dodged anything thrown at him. He narrowed his pale, hazel eyes intently, resting his elbows on his knees as his tongue popped out at the side again. Chihiro had come so close the first time, he wasn't going to let Leon squeak by with a win.

Mondo secretly laughed to himself, watching the way his partner tapped at the controller. He perked his glance over the huddled frame of the programmer, seeing Leon squirm uncomfortably against the cushion as he was growing awfully close to his first loss of the evening. "No-no-no-no-nooo! Fuck!" Leon yelped as Chihiro managed to finish off his character. The little programmer cheered quietly with a victorious wiggle in his spot. He set the controller down on the floor, Naegi and Hagakure giving a round of applause for their new victor.

"Good job, Fujisaki-san," Naegi grinned with a small clap, Chihiro bowing his head graciously as he smiled brightly to the room.

"Yeah, good job, whatever," Leon moaned like a spoiled child. He pressed his forehead into his palm, suddenly standing from the couch. "Think it's homework time."

"You never do your homework," Hagakure stated deviously, cocking a curious eyebrow.

Bringing his tongue ring between his lips, he nervously played it to before muttering, "Yeah, well, Sayaka is… doing tutoring in the library. Her and Ishimaru are. So I might try to do it…" He shrugged before making a quick, bashful exit from the room, nearly tripping over the doorway. Hagakure rolled his eyes and collected his school bag, figuring it was time to get some homework, or possibly a nap, in for the day.

"I better get to my homework, too," Naegi pardoned himself, waving gently to the two of them. "See you guys later."

"Yeah, peace!" Hagakure exclaimed, slinging his bag over his shoulder, letting Naegi exit the room first before slamming the door behind the both of them. Chihiro jumped at the sound before he sat upright in his spot, then leaning back against the soft cushion of the couch. The sounds of the game blared in front of them, but otherwise, it was just more uncomfortable silence.

Biting down on his lip, Chihiro flattened the edges of his shorts against his thighs, picking at a few furries that had gathered on his tights. Mondo kept to himself, his palm still resting against his face. The programmer took in a slow breath and reached to his left, snatching up the controller Leon had carelessly tossed aside. He scooped up the one on the floor with his foot, handing his boyfriend one of them. "Would you like to play… or are you… still mad that I told you how to play?" he offered with a dash of sass, evoking a low chuckle from his partner.

"Maybe I should have listened. Seems you actually know how," Mondo grunted in return, snatching up the controller. As the biker moved, Chihiro took the initiative to take a very comfortable position right against his partner's body. Now that they were alone, being affectionate shouldn't be an issue. He nuzzled himself beneath Mondo's arm, pressing his chest against his man's chest. "How'm I supposed to play with you wrapped around me like a koala," he laughed heartily and Chihiro grinned from ear to ear at the vibrations of his happiness. He was loud, and his chuckle bellowed throughout his chest. It was comforting.

"You're not," Chihiro giggled as he brought his hand against Mondo's chest, his little fingers wrapping tightly around the light fabric of his shirt. "You know… when you… invited me up here… I thought maybe we would… be alone, you know?"

"We're alone now, right?" Mondo groaned to himself, absently running his fingers through his hair at the back of his head. He glanced away, knowing deep down that it was wrong not to inform both Chihiro and the boys that there would be extra company. "Us guys always hang out here after class… thought you would like that if I invited you along…" He sucked in a long breath, feeling his body tense up at his mistake. He should have known better. It probably made Chihiro feel really special to be invited to hang out, only to realize he had just been tacked on with the normal group of guys. "Sorry."

"It's alright… like you said, we're alone now," Chihiro cooed faintly as he closed his eyes, pressing his head into the crook of Mondo's arm. Their bodies meshed together, Chihiro's small frame matching into the curves and edges of Mondo's side and arm. This was why he wanted them to be alone. Not because he didn't enjoy the other boys' company, but because Mondo was uninhibited when it was just them. "We almost weren't, even if the guys weren't here… Junko followed me all the way upstairs."

Mondo scoffed, wiggling in his spot to get comfortable with his new attachment. Chihiro pulled his knees onto the sofa, tucking his feet beneath his bottom. "She just kept going on and on about stuff… stuff about us… stuff about… you."

"Don't believe the shit she says," the biker grunted, patting his little companion on the shoulder. "I don't believe her. She just likes to talk. Probably just startin' shit cause you look happy."

The smaller boy looked up with a timid frown at first, but it soon blossomed into a calm smile. His hazel eyes wavered in admiration. He had always tried his hardest to be cheerful and upbeat for those around him, but most the time, he was a quivering mess hiding in the background. Often people would ask him what was wrong, and he could brush it off because he always assumed his feelings were to be no one's burden. But he looked happy. He looked happy without even realizing he did and without pressing on fake smiles. "I look happy?"

"Yea'," Mondo hummed, reaching out his right hand to brush against the smaller boy's chin. His thumb graced just below Chihiro's lips, tracing the curve his adorable smile made. The biker then blushed furiously, tucking back a grin of his own. "I don't know what she said to you, though, but it was kind of funny seein' her flirt with Ishimaru. You know how much he hates 'inappropriate conduct within the school grounds'…" He motioned with his fingers and Chihiro giggled, almost wishing he had been at the table to see it. Of course, had he actually been at the table, wedged between Mondo and Ishimaru like Junko had, maybe the model wouldn't have come around.

"He would be so mad at us right now then… wouldn't he?" Chihiro muttered innocently, his fingers petting the fabric on Mondo's chest.

With a vigorous laugh, Mondo hollered, "If he knew anything we have been up to, I'm pretty sure you'd have detention for life, and I'd be dead." Chihiro nodded in silent agreement, staring up at his partner with bright, begging eyes. Although he had stood in front of his closet and told himself that he shouldn't let their relationship consist of nothing but kisses, he sat there suddenly craving to feel Mondo's lips again. Especially when they were curved so deviously like that.

A little kissing wouldn't hurt.

Chihiro pushed himself up on his knees, crashing his lips into Mondo's, attempting to capture the same surprise that his partner was so good at doing. The programmer realized that all of their intimate lip locks had been initiated by the taller, so he wanted to be the one to steal away kisses, too. But of course, he just fumbled nervously, his little hands pressed firmly against Mondo's cheeks. He pulled his face back a bit, letting out a low, flustered hum while he fluttered his long eyelashes. Maybe there was a reason Mondo initiated all the kissing. "I'm sorry… I… uhh…"

As Chihiro's body tensed up against him, Mondo turned slightly to give him a little more room to relax. In the back of his mind, the smaller one told himself again not to let this turn out like their moment in his bedroom. Spend this time talking, getting to know one another a lot better. They had plenty of time for kisses and make out sessions. The beginning of their relationship was supposed to be about exploring one another's interests and growing comfortable with one another.

And then Mondo kissed him along his lightly exposed collar bone, pressing another kiss along on the soft skin just above the hemline of his blouse that was hanging off his shoulder. Suddenly, all his ideas of holding back sprang out the window. They had more than enough time later to talk about their interests. Who wanted to babble on about computers and pixels when he had this stud kissing on him? In a matter of moments, the two were tangled in tongues, sharing sweet kisses and Mondo's fingers through his partner's delicately styled hair. Chihiro eased his body a bit, although still upright on his knees to keep them at eye level.

Surely if Ishimaru were to walk in now, they would both be done for.

Just as Mondo's hands made a steady creep down the side of Chihiro's body, a light from the hallway outside flooded the door as Naegi casually strolled back inside. "I left my-" he began, but then stood mortified when he caught the two in lip lock on the couch. Chihiro immediately fell back against the couch with a timid squeak, burying his blazing face within his hands before awkwardly tugging up the blouse that had been drifting down his shoulder. Mondo readjusted himself, looking towards the opposite end of the room.

Pressing a hand against his eyes and whipping around on his heel, Naegi made haste back through the door. "I'm sorry-so sorry-so very sorry!" he blurted, anxiously waving his hands about, although unable to leave the room for now Leon and Hagakure, who had been lingering outside as well, were blocking the doorway. "I just left my shoes in here and I'm really sorry, I'll just come back, alright!"

Mondo grunted and kicked at the shoes that had been abandoned on the floor. Chihiro was horrified, feeling goose bumps crawling along his skin. He peeked from beneath his fingers, seeing Hagakure laughing loudly as Leon pulled money from his pocket, handing over a few yen to his classmate. "I TOLD you they'd hook up," the fortune teller snickered as he pocketed his earnings from a very displeased Leon.

"Those two? How? I thought Chihiro would have actually gone for someone who's not a dick," Leon grunted and Mondo looked over with narrowed eyes. If it weren't for the fact that he didn't want to risk moving any closer to Chihiro, he would have jumped up and pummeled the baseball player.

Naegi tip toed awkwardly through the room and snatched up his shoes, erratically dashing away with another string of apologies before squeezing himself a path between Leon and Hagakure. Leon hissed as he turned away, upset about his embarrassing loss to Chihiro, and now even more so thanks to losing a bet they had made ages ago. Hagakure waved, closing the door to leave the two on their lonesome. Chihiro shivered in place, squeaking loudly when Mondo placed a very firm hand on his back. "Next time we're hanging out alone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently working on the fourth chapter now. Trying to get as much finished before next weekend, because that starts my crazy week. I work two jobs that week, and I am moving into my first apartment. I know this chapter was a bit of a filler, but I hope that you enjoyed it anyway. Thanks for reading and all comments and stuff are greatly appreciated!!


	4. Chapter 4

The room was blissfully warm, the cafeteria filled with friendly chatter as the last fifteen minutes of the lunch break dwindled along. Outside, the courtyard was filled with vibrant reds and oranges as the leaves began to flutter from the trees. The end of November was upon them, with only about a month until winter break rolled around. It had been four months since Chihiro and Mondo had started dating. To say that it changed them was an understatement. It changed everyone. "I want to go take a nap in the leaves," Asahina exhaled with a childish giggled beneath her breath. She turned her in her chair slightly, using the back as leverage to crack her spine briefly before letting out a heavy, warm sigh. "It's just so beautiful out there…"

"I love the fall colors," Sayaka chirped and Chihiro shook his head briefly from his gaze on the window. He looked to his right, where Mondo was nearly face down in his food. He had been asleep nearly the entire day in class, and was barely awake now at lunch. "Did he not sleep last night?" the songbird murmured, curiously pressing her finger along her chin. Whereas the cafeteria was once vastly separated, with many groups sitting all over the place, most everyone sat together now. Once Chihiro had gotten the courage to sit alongside his boyfriend and the rest of the boys, who he had now gotten into the habit of hanging out with after class in the rec room, Asahina and Sakura followed. This in turn perked the interest of Naegi and Sayaka, and further snagged in Junko. Byakuya kept to himself across the room, Fukawa following him like a desperate animal, and Celes beckoned Yamada to another corner of the cafeteria, the artist waiting on her every call. Mukuro often took walks during lunch, but other than that, everyone was together.

"Not much…" Chihiro admitted, patting his mate gently on the shoulder as Mondo suddenly jerked upright with a loud, tired snort. He shook his head, rubbing at his pale, violet eyes before groaning loudly. His forehead connected with the table top and he was out again. "We got caught up in a movie and lost track of time… I'm used to staying up. He needs a lot more sleep than I do…" The young boy giggled at his poor partner, casually running his hand along Mondo's back. Ishimaru, who was perched on the programmer's left, watched the affectionate display cautiously, nearly shaking in his spot. At this point, the entire academy knew about the relationship. If it wasn't by word, it was because the two had been caught kissing in the rec room, or the kitchen, or tucked away in the garden. Despite knowing that the two had participated in such devious acts before, it still made Ishimaru's blood boil that two students were sharing intimate activities. But for the sake of their friendship, she chose to stop hounding them about it.

The small programmer surveyed the group of students as the last few moments of their lunch break crawled on. Across from him sat Sayaka, who seemed to be lost in thought as she stared out the window towards the brightly colored leaves outside. Naegi, to the right of her, began to stack the contents of his unfinished lunch in a pile, then reaching out to politely gather his fellow student's trash. Junko sat to the right of him, rolling her eyes at the conversation. Or was she rolling her eyes at Chihiro's hand gently caressing Mondo's back? "What is everyone doing for December break?" Sayaka suddenly sighed longingly, placing her long hand over her heart. She let off a small smile to her friends, fluttering her attention from the falling leaves.

"I'm going to see my parents and my sister," Naegi stated, yanking up the tray of lunch trash. He flashed a brief grin before adding, "I really miss them."

Junko watched him scoot out of his chair, heading towards the trash can behind them. The vivacious blonde then looked past them all towards her sister, who was just entering the room with a nearly finished bottle of water and a grim, tired expression on her face. Mukuro tossed out her bottle of water and then immediately left. "What are you doing for the holidays, Chihiro?" Junko questioned, crossing her arms almost defiantly below her bust. "I remember you were only gone for a weekend during summer break…"

Biting down on his lip, Chihiro sank back a bit now that he was being peculiarly singled out. He had only left the academy during the summer for a weekend because that was the only time his father was available. His father was a very busy and anxious man who hounded over his work, so it was very rare that he could leave his job to spend time with anyone. Chihiro understood, though. Oftentimes, he himself became so absorbed with his programs that he would forget about school work, or sleep, or much of everything. It was a wonderful, but horrible habit he inherited from his father. "I am going to visit my father," he stated calmly with a warm smile and a blush that spread across his cheeks. And in understanding that his father was busy, he also knew there wasn't a person in this world he missed more.

"For more than two days this time?" Junko popped back.

"For the entire holiday, yes," Chihiro beamed in return, his cheeks flushed with brimming anger. All this time spent around Mondo had caused quite a temper to flare up in the programmer, but before he got to the point of punching the table or something irrational, he instead fiddled with the bow along the collar of his school uniform. His other hand darted beneath the table, squeezing onto Mondo's thigh as a silent call for back up. The biker grunted at the sudden touch, jolting his leg upward and slamming it into the table. His head shot upward and he winced loudly as Chihiro withdrew his hand, innocently placing them both within his own lap. The rest of the table glanced over and the boy just smiled. "My father managed to call off work for the entire holiday…" He fanned his fingers out over his chin, another affectionate smirk spreading across his small lips at the thought of getting to spend some quality time with his dad again. "It will be nice."

"Mukuro and I will be staying here this Christmas," Junko stated abruptly to which Chihiro narrowed his eyes. He may have finished his sentence, but the girl was quick to trample over anything he said as long as there was some sort of confidence in his voice. More and more, she gave off an incredibly awkward sense of jealousy that everyone seemed to overlook. Even Mondo didn't notice, and when Chihiro tried to bring it up, he would just brush off the conversation. "We don't really like to visit family. I want to have another party before we all part ways so Chihiro can get drunk and make silly mistakes…"

A gasp hitched in the programmer's throat and Mondo sleepily directed his attention towards the obviously resentful blonde who wore a deceitful smirk and narrowed blue eyes. Chihiro took in a long, slow breath that wavered as he clenched his fingers around the edge of his skirt. His foot tapped anxiously against the ground as he attempted to gather up the courage to throw some rude comeback, but his little heart just couldn't muster it. Inside he told himself not to stoop to her level, but it was really because he couldn't get his tongue to work quickly with the words he always wanted to shout in her direction.

Luckily, there were others at the table with looser lips. "Says the girl who fell asleep almost naked in the bleachers by the pool last time," Leon snorted and Hagakure laughed, nearly falling back in his chair.

Junko flared her nostrils and looked away, bored of the conversation. The second she glanced away, Chihiro threw all the heated words behind his tongue into a spited glance before also turning his attention away, tucking his childishness behind his fingertips and a blush. Feeling the tension between the model and the small boy, Sayaka suddenly spoke up, spreading her hands against the table. "Are you doing anything for Christmas, Leon?" Her eyelashes fluttered and the boy in question threw his feet down from the table, despite the fact that Ishimaru had been begging him to do so all lunch period.

"Me? Uh-uh, I don't really… know. I might stay here. Might… go home. Why?" Leon blurted, his words a giant mess of nervous vomit before he sat upright.

Now that Chihiro visited the boy's regularly, Leon had pressed him about trying to bring Sayaka around. Saying he would love to listen to her sing, want to write music with her… and then some not so innocent things. Chihiro did what he could, which ended up bringing them together for the most part within the cafeteria. Mondo groggily rubbed at his eyes before narrowing them on his small partner, shaking his head with an irritated growl behind his tongue. "What we talkin' about?" he whispered low, rubbing his knee beneath the table as he tried to nab on to pieces of their conversation.

"What we're doing for holiday break," Chihiro informed him with a flutter of his eyelashes. He absently drew patterns along his uniform skirt, taking in a slow breath. "I'm going to visit my father the whole time… so I'll be away from the academy." Mondo frowned and lowered his head a bit into his folder hands, his elbows resting against the table top. "Will you…"

"I'mma stay here," he immediately shot back, distaste lingering against his tongue. At first it sounded bitter, like he was being forced to stay for the holiday, but then a tinge of sadness hung on his last word, his eyes falling short towards the table. It wasn't that he was being forced… he didn't really have much to go home to. Chihiro rubbed his knee softly beneath the table, sympathy spreading across his tiny lips. After the accident, Mondo had spent both holiday breaks within the academy. He talked about his mother often, but it was like Daiya was the only family that mattered to him. Chihiro never heard much about his older brother, or the relationship he held with his family. The programmer narrowed his eyes for a moment. There was so much about his partner he just didn't know.

"You're going to stay here?" Asahina hummed, pecking her finger against her chin. "Why don't you go with Chihiro to meet her father?" The swimming put on a cat like smile and leaned over the table. Mondo immediately sat upright, a ghastly white spreading over his normally tanned skin. "I mean, you guys have been dating for like… three or four months now? I think it's time to meet the parents. Besides… who wants to spend Christmas alone?"

Mondo didn't say anything, bashfully glaring past the perky girl towards the fall leaves scattered outside. Chihiro kept silent as well, nervously picking at the hem of his skirt. He had hardly spoken to his father since the summer, except to update him on his "Alter Ego" project, and work out the details of holiday break. Never once did he mention having a boyfriend. Relationships and feelings of that nature was never something discussed between him and his father growing up, mainly because that had never been an issue. Chihiro had done pretty well staying away from basically anyone in his life. "I… don't know… about that," the boy pressed, the words shaking in his throat. Mondo gave a silent nod of agreement, tugging at the collar of his shirt as if giving himself room to swallow down the suggestion.

"It would be nice…" Sayaka purred, running her fingers through her long, dark hair before twirling them at the end. "To spend the holidays with someone you loved…" Chihiro's large eyes drifted towards the beautiful songstress, feeling an awkward tug in his heart. Who said anything about love? He felt his heart skip a little beat and he clenched the edge of his skirt within his fists. Definitely not either of them. "I wish I had a significant other to even offer to spend my Christmas with." Leon glanced over, his mouth slightly agape as he crossed his arms along his chest. When Sayaka peeked over, he looked away, pretending to be disinterested. "It must be nice to have someone to go on dates with, too… I love you girls… but sometimes I'd love to have a little romance. Going on dates must be fun, hmm?"

Chihiro bit down on his lip, his heart fluttering once more when he realized they had never actually been on a date. Meeting up in the rec room didn't count, as the other boys were there. And he didn't consider any time they ever snuck off within the academy to be a date. They usually just spent time with the other boys, or stole kisses in hidden corners of the hallways. Watching movies in their rooms lead to just more kisses. There were never dates. Never getting dressed up really nice, never leaving the academy. No paying for dinners, no late night walks. Just a lot of kissing and cuddling. Which was nice… Chihiro had never thought anything wrong of it… until right this second, when it began to linger in his mind the entire night.

Somewhere close to nighttime, Chihiro laid cuddled into Mondo's side, the warmth of his laptop perched against his nearly bare thighs. He squirmed lightly, attempting to keep his attention on their movie. Mondo yawned heavily, his chin propped atop the smaller boy's head. "I don't think I'm gonna make it through this one, Chi," he grunted, heavily rubbing at his tied eyes.

"Oh, okay… old man," Chihiro teased, leaning his head back to peck a kiss beneath the man's chin. Sliding the laptop from his legs, he closed it and stood from the bed. After setting it atop the nearby dresser, he flattened down his uniform skirt, pressing his fingers against his warm skin. It was about twenty minutes until nighttime, and with class early in the morning, Chihiro knew he should probably scatter back to his room soon. "I guess I'll let you actually get some sleep tonight."

Mondo half smiled as he got comfortable against his pillows, watching the little one wander about the room, collecting his sock, shoes, and jacket which he had left in various corners of the area. Chihiro sat on the edge of the bed, sliding on his navy blue sock, tugging it all the way up to his knee. As he pulled on his other sock, he took in a small breath and murmured, "Does it upset you that I'm going away the entire Christmas break…?"

Reaching out, the taller man snagged his fingers on the sleeve of his boyfriend's dress shirt before running his hand along the small of Chihiro's back. The touch made him shiver all the way down to his toes as he arched his shoulders back, glancing over his shoulder. Although they had cuddled during the movie, the boy noticed his partner had been a little less touchy tonight. Their kisses were few and far between, and he managed to keep his hands very well to himself. Almost like he was avoiding being affectionate. Was he mad? "A little bit… but… you wanna see your dad. I guess I'll be alright alone."

Having held his sass in all day after Junko's out of line comment, Chihiro threw his hands on his hips and wiggled his head a bit when he commented, "Oh, but you won't be alone. Junko will be here to keep you company." He said it with a half laugh, but his little heart meant it, and it almost hurt to say it. It had been nagging him all day that the model had gone out of her way to try to embarrass him again. And that she was staying back for Christmas.

"You're really startin' to get on my nerves with this whole Junko thing," the biker whined beneath his breath, immediately drawing his hand away. The shiver that once crawled along Chihiro's skin dissipated.

"Well, she… has been getting on my nerves… for the past four months but no one ever says anything to stop her," the boy stated defiantly as he stood from the bed, stammering his foot against the ground briefly. He turned around and thrust his balled fists at his side. Mondo was the only one he ever got angry around. Probably because the biker was the only one he felt comfortable around being anything but a bundle of nerves or pressed on smiles. "You heard what she said today at lunch in front of everyone. That was so-"

"You ever see a picture of my brother?" Mondo suddenly interjected, awkwardly rubbing at the back of his neck. Chihiro was taken aback, wavering on his heels for a moment as his tiny fists loosened. His brother? He had only heard his name and that there was an accident. Nothing more because everyone kept silent once Mondo had finally calmed down about it. This was the first time in a few years that he had said anything about his brother. The man reached into the nearby drawer, yanking out a small, framed photo as he patted the now empty space against the bed.

Chihiro didn't hesitate to crawl beside him, taking his space cuddled against his man's chest. Mondo stared at the picture before releasing a long sigh, shoving it into the programmer's small hands. With wide, hazel eyes, Chihiro stared at it, feeling as though he could cry in an instant. It was a much older picture that had looked as though it was thrown into the wash. The colored faded, a corner missing, and what looked like dog bites along one side. But behind all that tarnish were the smiling faces of two young boys. "We were… a lot younger in this picture but… that's him," Mondo pressed, running his finger along the side of the frame. "Daiya…"

Bringing the picture closer to his face, Chihiro inspected the faded image with a shaking smile. Although it was bittersweet, he felt his heart flutter with excitement that Mondo was letting him in on such a special, now secret part of his life. He always talked about his gang, all of the members in the Crazy Diamonds, and Chihiro had heard someone mention that his brother used to be the leader of that gang. But after the incident… obviously that wasn't the case. Mondo, in the picture, was much shorter than he stood now, scrawny, with messy hair that hung in his face, and a sideways, somewhat toothless grin. He was just a kid in this picture, probably not much older than eleven. And his brother, stood about a foot taller and a few years older. Although making an as equally silly face as his brother, there was a sense of maturity in Daiya that Mondo seemed to lack at that time of their lives. He stood straighter, his head held a little higher, as if there were no doubts in his mind. It was a shame he couldn't be around longer to instill that same confidence in his brother now.

"This picture is adorable… I bet he grew to be very handsome," Chihiro hummed as he pressed the picture against his chest, afraid to continue looking at it when he felt the tears stinging within his eyes. Mondo smiled, and for the first time tonight, pressed a firm, warm kiss along his partner's forehead. He wasn't angry. He was just missing his brother. "Thank you… for showing me this."

"Not many people get to see my baby pictures, eh…" Mondo then grunted, half heartedly snatching the picture back up with a sideways grin. He tucked it safely away back in its home before drawing his hands behind his head, leaning against the headboard. "But it's the only picture I still got of him. Mom has the others."

"You should ask her to send you more," Chihiro stated but his boyfriend immediately glanced away, shaking his head. The boy wanted to ask why, but figured he had already been shown enough into Mondo's personal life tonight that pressing the issue would be bad. Considering he never left to visit her or any of his family for Christmas, the programmer assumed something bad may have happened between them, especially after such a traumatic death. Chihiro hoped that one day Mondo trusted him enough to tell him the story of how his brother passed. "Will you miss me while I'm away?"

Bringing an arm around Chihiro's shoulder, he pulled the boy's tiny frame against his own, nuzzling his lips against the kid's forehead. "Every day," he admitted with the bite of his lip and Chihiro swallowed, turning his body so he could throw his arms around his lover. A few tears left over from the shock and admiration of the photograph leaked from his eyes as he clung tightly to Mondo's shirt, taking in a long, shaking breath. Vacations from the academy used to feel nice, and whereas he was excited to see his father, he was reluctant to leave Mondo behind. "Hey, don't cry… can't be sad before ya go to bed."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Chihiro murmured from the side of his lips, blinking wildly to get rid of the tears gathering in his big, bright eyes. He shook his head and rubbed his face with the back of his head, soaking his sleeve a bit until his eyes were dry. Across the way, he could read the clock at nearly ten now, meaning he should scatter back to his own room before Ishimaru came knocking to make sure they weren't trying to deviously camp out in one another's beds. They never did sleep over in each other's room, and Ishimaru was intent on keeping it that way. "Give me a goodnight kiss," he begged with a whimpering smile, then puckering out his small lips.

Mondo happily obliged, taking his partner's lips against his own. It was a short, sweet peck, but like many others, soon led into something more passionate. Chihiro scooted his body up a little bit, letting his man's arms slide around his slender waist. The sadness dwelled in his heart a few seconds longer, but was quickly swept away when Mondo turned his body, beginning to lean his boyfriend against the bed, much like that drunken night so many months ago. The programmer shivered, sliding his leg slightly up his man's side, feeling his skirt fleeing down against his thigh. A sighed giggle escaped his lips as Mondo kissed at his neck, but he quickly sucked the laugh back into his throat when the man suddenly jerked his head back, sitting upright.

The warmth that once slid through him zipped away, leaving him cold against the bed. Mondo propped his elbow against his knee, rubbing at his face with a groggy moan. "I'm a shit boyfriend," he grunted and Chihiro also sat up, a lot slower, with a cautious glance across his face. He reached out and rubbed Mondo's shoulder, licking at his lips nervously. "I need to do this right…"

"You're not… a bad boyfriend… Don't say things like that."

"I'm going to do this right. You deserve better… We…" For a moment, Chihiro felt his heart catch a beat because the look on his boy's face read total disaster. He deserved better? Was he going to break up with him? His little body began to tremble as he pressed a hand against his chest. "We should…" Oh, no. He was going to do it. This was it. "Wanna go on a date tomorrow after class?"

The veil of sadness shattered and for a split second, Chihiro felt like an idiot thinking that Mondo was going to be so quick to dispose of him. It probably took every iota of courage to force out that statement, because even after all these months, Mondo had never asked about a date. Or even suggested they take a walk. The fluttered in his heart return, and he felt butterflies gather in the pit of his stomach. For a moment, he sat dumbfounded, sure his face was as red as it felt, embarrassment and glee burning his cheeks. "Y-y-y-yeah… I… would love to," he swallowed, pressing his balled first against his chin as a bright, full smile graced his lips.

"Okay, good," Mondo sighed, as if he had been holding that question inside all day. "Think of somewhere you might wanna go and… we'll meet at the front door at six tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Sounds… wonderful," Chihiro nearly chirped, springing a kiss against his lover's cheek before pouncing off the bed. He swept up his laptop into his arms, cradling against his chest as he lingered against his heels for a moment. The blush continued to creep along his face and he lowered his head, trying to cover his childish excitement with his hair. That same airy feeling took over his body and he nearly skipped towards the door. It was like they had gotten together all over again. Biting down on his lip, he bid his lover a good night, and slipped out the doorway. Once on the other side, he closed the door with his back and clutched his laptop even harder, letting a small squeal escaping his lips. Sometimes he swore he loved that boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chapter was MUCH longer than I expected, but I suppose that's good. I like longer chapters, because then I feel like I actually get somewhere with them. There was a little bit more content in there as compared to the last that seemed a little filler-ish. I'm moving this week, and work a lot the next few weeks, and I'll be going out of town in two weeks, so I wanted to get a chapter in before all of that, just in case I'm too busy to write. I hope you enjoy and I appreciate all the comments I've received! You guys have been amazing to me and keep me going! :D


	5. Chapter 5

The day could not have dragged on any slower. It was like each second passed was an eternity sitting in that classroom desk. Chihiro anxiously tapped at his keyboard, keying silly phrases and erasing them over and over just to pass the time. And to calm his nerves. He had been with Mondo for four months now, but his brain was still trying to figure out how to impress him on their first date. Glancing over his shoulder, he found that his partner didn’t seem to be nervous at all. Mondo had been asleep since they had returned from lunch. “What am I going to wear?” he pondered to himself, his fingers sliding over the keys. He hadn’t taken a single note all day, and at the moment, had no idea what the lecture was even over. He would ask Ishimaru later. “Should I put on makeup… maybe do my hair different…” With a slow huff, he brushed his light hair from his cheeks and stared at his computer screen. His small reflection kicked back at him against the darkness of the desktop and he couldn’t help but feel so hopelessly unattractive today. If only he had someone to talk to about this whole dating thing. As far as he knew, none of the other students had been in a relationship. At least with anyone else here.

Chihiro looked over his shoulder at his sleeping comrade before his bright eyes darted around the classroom, dancing over his classmates. Sayaka sat upright with her cheerful smile aimed towards the blackboard. She was always very well put together, her hair perfectly pinned back and her clothing neatly pressed. When she wasn’t in her uniform, she was always wearing beautiful dresses, and had a very natural elegance to her face. Certainly she could help turn Chihiro into something passable for a first date. Two seats behind her was Junko, quite the opposite when it came of attire and makeup. Her outfits, outside of their uniforms, were daring and tempting, her makeup thick to bring out the crystal blue of her eyes. She was very dazzling, but there was no way Chihiro was going to ask her for help. After the nasty comment in the cafeteria yesterday, the programmer was content with never speaking to her again.

Just as he was about to pass his attention back to his laptop, Junko glanced over with a little smirk pulling at the side of her lightly glossed lip. Chihiro immediately looked away with a furious blush. Although the model hadn’t asked or pressed on like she normally would, somehow the young boy knew that Junko knew of their date. She kept sending glances, little winks, and intimidating stares. But neither of them had said a thing about it, so how did Junko even know? Certainly Mondo didn’t say anything to her. Chihiro breathed to himself, hoping that for once, Junko would keep herself out of it, because the date would be a disaster should she choose to follow them around wherever they went.

Chihiro’s eyes narrowed on the clock. Just twenty minutes of this class period left, and then a few hours afterwards until he was to meet Mondo in the main hall of the building. He didn’t know what he was going to wear, whether or not he should be prepared to pay for anything or… where they were even going. He figured dinner, but didn’t really know what to eat. Mondo didn’t seem picky when they ate lunch, but if Chihiro wasn’t paying, he shouldn’t pick anywhere to expensive. Or too nice. Would too nice make Mondo feel uncomfortable? Bringing a hand over his lips, resting his elbow against the desk, he soon realized a partial reason as why they never went on an official date. They were hard and intimidating.

“Why can’t he come up with something?” he questioned to himself, swinging his legs lightly beneath the desk. They kicked at the basket by his feet and Mondo jerked in his sleep slightly since his feet were rested within the metal basket. Chihiro heard him stir and briefly looked over his shoulder with a nervous smile. Rubbing at the red imprint of his uniform jacket on his face, the man groaned beneath his breath and readjusted his sleeping position. It was a wonder how the professor had yet to call him out considering how close he sat now. Maybe, like the rest of class, the professor had given up on keeping Mondo awake. Chihiro giggled to himself, facing back towards his laptop. Fifteen minutes until class ended now.

He stared at the computer screen, seeing the icon for the Alter Ego program on the desktop. The program was still in major development, but had learned quite a bit. Last night, he told Alter Ego about the picture Mondo had presented to him. Of course it didn’t understand why he had been flustered with so much emotion, but to Chihiro, it felt like he had finally gotten to know a deep part of Mondo that no one else in this school had gotten the chance to learn. He pictured his little face in that photograph and smiled to himself. He looked so genuinely happy standing next to his brother, like he was more than proud of who he was. Childlike, but unafraid. He sighed. He wished they could go back to a time like that. Of course, he never had the fearless feeling in childhood. Ten minutes now.

He had been dwelling on his issues for the past few weeks now, but didn’t have the heart to talk them out with Mondo. They had finally gotten to the point of being comfortable with one another and comfortable being a couple in front of the others. Still, none of them obviously knew Chihiro’s secret… but he wanted them to. He felt like a big chunk of what brought them together still laid buried in his mind, and it made a big portion of their relationship seem wrong. He wanted to tell the others, but that would mean ratting out Mondo’s secret, as well… which was something Chihiro knew Mondo wasn’t ready to do. He pressed his hand against his heart and fluttered his attention back towards the clock. Five minutes now. Five more minutes and he would be sprinting down to his room and absolutely destroy his closet. What was he going to wear?

They only had a month until holiday break. Chihiro considered telling everyone at the party before they parted ways. That way at least Chihiro wouldn’t have to deal with the backlash of everyone’s disappointed and betrayed looks. He could hide from them, let them sit on the idea that Chihiro had been a boy all along. But Mondo… wasn’t leaving. He was staying over the holiday and would have to drown in the criticism from his peers. Hopefully most everyone would be supportive, but Chihiro knew that not all of them could be so pleasant sometimes.

The bell sounded and quicker than anyone had ever seen him, Chihiro slammed his laptop shut and scooped it up within his arm. He swept his bag from the floor, not even bothering to pack his laptop away as he stood from his desk. Nearly stumbling against the doorframe, he zipped out into the hallway. Not a second could be wasted on stolen kisses in the hallway, or saying goodbye to friends. He needed all the time he could get to prepare for tonight. Just as he made it to his door, however, a hand snatched him up by the collar and yanked him backwards. His backpack slid from his arm to the floor and he fumbled with his laptop, his life flashing before his eyes as it completely slipped from his hands. “Nervous?” the voice belonging to the hand questioned before snatching up the laptop before it made a deadly crash against the ground. Chihiro froze, his body trembling in relief before he realized that it was, of course, none other than Junko who had stopped him seconds before retreating to his room.

“Nervous? Why… would I be nervous… except that you almost made me break my laptop…” he breathed out as she handed it over. He cuddled his device against his chest and stood awkwardly in the hallway, watching the other students finally pour out of the class hallway. Some rushed towards the dorms. Others disappeared into the cafeteria for a snack.

“Nervous because you have a hot date tonight,” the blonde smirked, running her finger just below Chihiro’s chin. The boy grunted and leaned back from her touch, kneeling down to retrieve his backpack. He slung it over his shoulder and stared at her with slightly flared nostrils, ready to spout off if some rude comment came hurdling in his way. Not like he would actually say anything too mean, though. He wasn’t capable of being brave if Mondo wasn’t by his side.

“H-h-how did you…”

“I have my sources.” She deviously tapped her fingers together and threw her hand on Chihiro’s bedroom door handle, thrusting it open and forcing her way in. Chihiro yelped and jumped into his room, standing directly in her way. Luckily, all his laundry had been tucked away safely and no other hints of his secret lay lingering about the room. “Let’s face it. I saw you looking at me in class. You want my help to look good because you’re worried about impressing Mondo.”

Bingo. Chihiro swallowed. Was he being that obvious? Who told her about the date? Chihiro didn’t tell anyone, which means at some point in the day, Mondo must have been either nervous or happy enough to tell someone who would eventually tell her. “Let’s see what you have in this closet…” Junko chirped, kicking the door closed loudly behind them.

“N-n-no!!” the boy yelped as he threw his belongings carefully onto the bed, standing before the closet and defiantly pressing his hands against it. He didn’t really have much in there that would throw out his secret, but the idea of her digging through his stuff made his hair stand on end. She would trash talk all his clothing, and then see the things he was much too afraid to wear in public. Dresses he had bought to make himself feel better, but things too flashy or risqué that instead crashed his spirits, causing him not to wear them. “My closet… is a mess… I’ll… pick my clothes.”

“Nonsense!” Junko exclaimed, reaching behind him to throw open the sliding closet door, despite the small one in her way. Chihiro squeaked at the loud noise of the door slamming against the closet frame, turning around to see his array of clothing open to the model. His closet wasn’t a mess at all. Everything was neatly organized and hung away, his shoes methodically lined up along the floor. For a moment, Junko just stood in awe at the collection of clothing she had never seen before, running her hand along the soft fabric and frills of the dresses inside.

The boy stood frozen in front of his open closet door, his entire body trembling as the woman graced each and every article of clothing with her long nails. He had pairs of pants and shorts, but luckily nothing that would give his secrets away. Anything of that nature was tucked away in his dresser. Still, he felt completely vulnerable. “Why don’t you ever wear any of this?” she said, awe stricken, with an airy tone in her voice. Chihiro lowered his shaking hands from his face, seeing the beautiful look of amazement on his classmate’s friend. It was the first time she had looked purely entranced. She didn’t look cocky, she didn’t seem pushy, and even though her fingers were dancing all over his clothes, she didn’t seem evasive. She actually felt… approachable.

“I never have a reason to,” Chihiro breathed, letting his hands fall at his sides. “We all just wear our uniforms most of the week, and… I never like really dressing up.”

“Then why own such beautiful things…?” Her question came as a shock to the young programmer, so much so that he choked a little on his breath. She thought something of his was beautiful? Certainly this had to be some strange act. Junko had never been this pleasant to him in his entire life, and up until this point, she did nothing but ridicule and mock Mondo and his relationship. The sudden offer to help seemed suspicious. He kept his guard, but felt flattered regardless. The young woman reached into the closet and yanked out one of the outfits. It was a thigh length, navy blue dress with long, sheer sleeves. A white peter pan collar adorned the top with four buttons along the chest. Various frills danced along the edges of the dress and sleeves. Chihiro had always loved it, but it was much too dressy and he had literally no occasion to wear it. At first, Junko held it up to her body, but with her stature quite a few inches taller than Chihiro, the dress just barely came below her hips. It was too soft for her taste, but she gave a glowing smile and offered it towards her smaller classmate. “You should wear this. Mondo will think you’re… very pretty.”

Her last words fell heavy out of her mouth, despite her pleasant grin. Chihiro could have been mistaken, but her tone sounded awfully jealous. He took the dress anyway and held it against his body as the model kicked a pair of white flats from the closet, shutting the doors. The boy sighed in relief, hugging the soft fabric against his body as he just stared at her. She was so quiet, dejected almost. It was strange seeing Junko so subdued. “Well… change and I’ll help you with your hair and makeup.” The taller of the two twirled her long pigtail between her fingers, staring intently on her meek classmate. “Well.”

Chihiro swallowed and clutched the dress against his body. “I’ll… be… right back,” he squeaked before dashing into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him and locking it. He pressed his back against it, the dress squeezed within his quivering grip. Junko was crazy. One minute she was relentlessly teasing him for his attraction to the biker, the next she was offering a hand to make him look gorgeous. He took in a deep breath. This had to be some form of sabotage. In his years of knowing the girl, he had never seen her do anything selfless. There always had to be something in it for her. There was always an ulterior motive. Sometimes nearly harmless, sometimes incredibly cruel. He set the dress along the sink top, slinking out of his uniform. He kicked his shoes towards the corner, yanking off his tights before snatching up the soft dress. He hadn’t worn this since trying it on at the shop. One of many he never wore after actually buying. When one doesn’t go anywhere besides school, there’s no reason to dress up. He wondered if it would be too much for Mondo. Junko did say he would find it pretty. How would she know what he liked?

He slipped the dress over his head, feeling it glide down his body until the bottom hem graced his bare thighs. The dress synched along the chest, giving him the false illusion of a bosom and he turned the dress slightly so the buttons lay evenly. Pressing the collar down against his skin, he stared at himself in the mirror. Although he couldn’t see his body, he knew he already looked about ten times more graceful than before. He definitely felt prettier. A flush of red came to his cheeks and his little smile quivered. This was why he bought this dress. Putting it on felt good.

Chihiro kicked his extra clothes to the corner of the bathroom and snatched up a small box that was resting by the countertop. Inside contained the tiny amount of makeup he had acquired over the years. Some of it may have even been expired considering he hardly ever used it and basically forgot he had it. Hopefully Junko could work with it somehow. Opening the bathroom door, he found the young woman sitting on his bed with her legs crossed at her ankles, her hands folded neatly in her lap. The once dismal glance upon her face dissipated and she held an eager smile across her lips. “Looks better on you than I thought it would… you’ve got some legs, girl,” Junko grinned, thrusting a thumbs up in her fellow student’s direction. Chihiro blushed and pressed the edges of the dress against his thighs. “Okay, let’s do your make up.”

The programmer nervously took a seat beside his classmate on the nicely made bed. He tucked his dress beneath himself, pressing his knees together and folding his hands in his lap. His entire body shook at being so close to her in such attire. Not that she would try anything brash, like lifting his skirt, but he had never dressed this way in front of others. What was Mondo going to think? Junko snatched up the little box of makeup and dumped it on the bed, sorting through the few sticks of eyeliner and palettes of shadows. She wrinkled her nose before staring at her “friend”. “You have freckles? I’ve never really gotten close enough to notice.”

Chihiro pressed his fingers against his cheeks. They didn’t normally show too much, and only came in small bursts when he went out in the sun. Normally, that wasn’t too often as he liked keeping inside his room. Or hidden in shade during gym. But recently he actually found himself trying to participate in gym just to get a little competitive with Mondo and the other boys. So his little sun spots were showing. “They’re not bad… are they?”

“Mondo likes them,” Junko then stated in a very matter of fact sort of way as she narrowed her eyes. Chihiro swallowed. And how would she know what Mondo liked about him? “I was going to use some foundation to cover them, but it doesn’t look like you have any… but I guess if he likes them, then whatever.” The popped open a natural palette of eye shadow, using her index finger to collect some of the color instead of the brush. “Close your eyes.”

Chihiro did as ordered, his hands nervously clutching the edges of his dress. What if she made him look horrible? He would just wash it off. What if she put on too much and Mondo thought he looked trashy? He bit down on his lip. This felt so weird. “Why…” he breathed, careful not to move too much as she brushed her finger over his eyelid. She dabbed a bit of white towards the center of his lid, and then a little dot towards the inner corners of his eye. “Are you… helping me?” Junko huffed, drawing back her finger. There was a long moment of silence between them, but Chihiro didn’t open his eyes, not wanting to see her face. Perhaps he had offended her and she was actually doing this graciously from the bottom of her heart. Without some evil intent. He doubted it, as most of her “helpfulness” was often just a way to pry out information.

“I want you to do better with Mondo than I did,” the beauty murmured, pursing her lips slightly. As soon as the words dripped from her mouth, Chihiro finally opened his eyes. What? He stared at her, but the model just looked down, circling her finger through a square of blush pink shadow. The words sounded shallow, like she was forcing herself to say them. As the blonde looked up, she drew her finger from the powder and held it before Chihiro. “Oh… you didn’t know we dated? Mondo never told you…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am starting to feel really bad about my updating. Since moving into my new apartment, I've been slowly going through chapters. Got a lot going on, and this one was going to be longer, but I think I've just become too wordy lately and my chapters become too long. So I'm breaking this one in half. I hope everyone's still interested and enjoying this! :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for such an incredible delay on this fic. The past couple of months have been a whirlwind. I got promoted to manager at my job with Hallmark, and we start getting incredibly busy in September. Plus I traveled most of August and September for training, and since my laptop was broken, that meant not a whole lot of writing went on. I feel really awful for falling behind, but hopefully now that my boyfriend has his new computer and I'm more settled with my job, I can get more accomplished. I feel like I'm consistently coming up with excuses, but I work open to close many days a week and have just been exhausted.
> 
> I tried to keep the chapter long, but broke it at a good enough point to where it wasn't incredibly long. Hopefully everyone likes it and hasn't lost interest. Again, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated. :) Thank you for your patience.

Chihiro’s bottom lip quivered. He had even asked in his time of insecurity if there were anything that happened between Junko and Mondo, and Mondo would always respond with, “Don’t worry about her.” Chihiro always dismissed it as a general statement, as if no, they had never been an item. No, there was nothing ever between them. That Chihiro was just being insecure and taking Junko’s advances much too seriously. He didn't realize that Mondo was really just trying to avoid telling the truth. His fingers tightened around the hem of his skirt and he almost wanted to shout for her to go away. But technically, she wasn't doing anything wrong. After all, Junko was telling more truth than Mondo ever did. “Doesn't surprise me,” the girl blurted, waving her hand towards Chihiro’s face as a silent signal for him to close his eyes. He did so reluctantly, feeling her firmly press her finger over the crease of his eyelid. “He wasn't particularly proud of our relationship… or our friendship.” Another pang of fear. Mondo never really talked to anyone about him and Chihiro being together. It was mostly Chihiro who did all the happy babbling. “You know, because we were really good friends before we dated…”

The boy remained silent, trying his hardest not to start crying. Deep down, he knew he shouldn't be so upset. It wasn't like Junko and Mondo were dating now. Besides the few times that she actively flirted with the entire lunch table, the girl never even spoke to the biker. Junko did more harassment towards Chihiro than anything. But the thought of being lied to about something pretty important is what hurt him the most. And that he felt he couldn't really trust any of Junko’s intentions. His little fingers trembled and he shifted his weight awkwardly against the bed as she just kept chattering on about how they had met when they were younger, before coming to the academy. How they had been friends off and on through childhood because they’re parents knew one another. How she was the one who suggested looking into the academy. That she was the reason he was invited. Chihiro quivered. He had enough. “Okay,” he breathed with a sharp tone as she took her finger from his eyelids. His eyelashes fluttered opened and a small splash of tears dripped for his eyes before he immediately turned his head.

Junko withdrew her finger and snapped the little case of shadow shut. “Oh, honey… it’s nothing to cry about. We dated for like four days. No big deal.”

No big deal? Chihiro had no idea that Junko and Mondo were even friends! It didn't matter how long they dated. He felt a pressure in his chest as his shoulders slumped forward a bit. He kept telling himself to look strong in front of her, brush it off like it didn't affect him at all, because she was most likely spewing this information just to eat at him. But he couldn't help it. Hiding a friendship with someone he couldn't stand was a pretty big deal. “You’re going to cry all your make up off,” the blonde murmured softly, reaching out brush the few spurts of tears leaking from the boys eyes. Chihiro instinctively retreated, pressing a hand over his face. “Really… Come on… no big deal. It was, like… years ago. He’s so into you.”

Chihiro’s hazel flickered and he rubbed at them with the back of his hand. And how would she know that? Did he tell her? Do they talk about him in private? Even if the words were flattering, the idea that Mondo was holding secret conversations with this conniving blonde made his stomach tangle.”Did he… tell you that?”

“You can tell, can’t you? When he looks at you, when he talks to you… he smiles in a way that is so different than any smile he’s ever given anyone else here.” Junko spoke softly, rotating the makeup palette over and over between her fingers. Her voice was calm, almost distant, and her bright blue eyes seemed to fade as she stared at the ground. Was she sad? Was she jealous? Chihiro’s eyebrow popped at the thought of her being jealous of him. He almost let a cocky chuckle slip through, but was far too nervous to force any sort of sound. “He listens when you talk. He watches you when you move. He gets anxious to see you… you don’t realize that?”

“It’s no different than he’s always looked at me,” Chihiro blurted out, feeling the insecurity set in from her words. When people actually pointed out the good in his life, it was habit for him to turn it right back around, like there was nothing special that ever had to do with him.

“Maybe that’s because he’s always liked you since you’ve known him, so you’ve never known him to look any different.” Silence enveloped the room as Junko folded her hands over her lap. They had met when they first came to the academy, when Chihiro assumed everyone had met. According to Junko, however, her and Mondo had known each other a while before. Mondo never spoke to him, hardly looked his way. He seemed generally unapproachable if you weren’t one of the boys, and at that time, Mondo didn’t realize that Chihiro was exactly that. But in the few times they did speak, either through involuntary group assignments or in passing through the halls and laundry room, a tint of red would always flash on Mondo’s cheeks, and he would force out a smile. Chihiro knew the biker wasn’t an outwardly kind person, so he always cherished those brief moments of cheerfulness between them. He didn’t realize it meant Mondo had a thing for him. He briefly smiled from the corner of his lips, but then stared at Junko. That also meant, had Junko and Mondo dated during academy life… that Chihiro may have been the person who unconsciously tore them apartment. “I can’t believe it took him this long to ask you out…”

Clicking back open the palette of eye shadow, Junko pressed her finger into a square of a deep burgundy and then wiggled her finger towards Chihiro. “So, don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have brought it up… but I guess it’s better you know now than… like months down the line when you’re getting into all that serious stuff,” she pressed and the boy shut his eyes, nervously rubbing his hands together in his lap. He felt Junko’s finger firmly in the crease of his eyelid, sweeping over the outer corner of his eye. He hadn’t a clue what she was making him look like, but considering she was one of the only girls who consistently got up in the morning to put on makeup, he trusted her. At least with this. “Like, you know… meeting his family, or sex… or marriage stuff.”

The boy jerked slightly at the mention of the second worry. He remembered Junko’s claim a few months back about how much her chastity meant to her. So clearly there had never been anything of that nature between Mondo and her. He hoped. “He hasn’t tried anything… like that with you… has he?” Junko questioned and Chihiro opened his eyes to the sound of her popping the shadow case closed for the last time. Her long fingers laid the case against the bed. For someone who did nothing but tease about the “special favors” Chihiro must had done to reel in Mondo, she was sure concerned about that actually being true. 

“No… nothing like that,” the boy murmured with trembling lips. They had come awfully close many times, but usually embarrassment caused them to stop. Nerves, embarrassment, and sometimes, Chihiro assumed the fact that he was a boy was a big part of it. As much as he wanted to think Mondo accepted him completely, sometimes he thought that the biker still saw him as a girl. Like he was just forcing down the fact that Chihiro was a boy because he liked him so much. They were too young for that sort of stuff, anyway. But they had come so close…

Junko gave a small sigh of relief and pressed her hand against her bosom. She turned her attention towards the few sticks of eyeliner and picked up a deep brown one, twirling in her fingers before commenting, “Don’t let it happen unless you’re absolutely sure it’s what you both want… that stuff is really important.” The blonde was soft and almost fragile when she spoke. She reached out and brushed Chihiro’s hair from the side of his face with a warm smile. “Close your eyes again please.” The boy shook slightly. He observed people often and sometimes felt he was a pretty good judge of character. For the most part, Junko had come off at devious, stopping at nothing to playfully make everyone around her miserable. But when she spoke so softly… and adamantly about something he thought wouldn’t be of importance to her, he felt horrible for his accusations. She really seemed to care for him… either that, or Mondo and her had… he swallowed, not wanting to think about it anymore. He just wanted to get his makeup done and be out of here.

The rest of the process was quiet, Chihiro remaining silent while she finished his makeup. Junko attempted to make small talk, but the boy refused many answers, not wanting his head filled with anymore nonsense. The models sincerity hit him like a freight truck, but in the same sense, he wasn’t quite sure if he could trust her. Really, she could have been making the entire thing up. Mondo and Junko never spoke, so how could they have once been best friends. How could they have been dating? Unless something detrimental happened that tore their friendship apart, Chihiro just couldn’t see it. He made a mental note to press Mondo about it after their date. He didn’t was his suspicions to spoil the evening.

Chihiro stood in his bathroom, surveying himself in the mirror now that Junko had left. It was like looking at a completely different person. She didn’t slather him in makeup so that he was really unrecognizable, but it was different for him. She manager to flatter his baby face features while making him look just a little more mature. He bit down on his lightly polished lip and pressed a hand to his blushing cheek. He looked… no, he felt pretty.

Stepping out into the hallway, he clutched his small handbag at his side, having stuffed his cell phone and a little bit of money inside. He figured Mondo was going to attempt to pay for it all, but Chihiro wanted to at least pay for his half of the dinner. His little feet were nervous as he made his way towards the school lobby where Mondo said he would be waiting. The hallway was quiet and even though they had been dating for four months now, he could hear his heart beating like it was the first time they met.

“He will probably be late,” Chihiro thought to himself, giving out a little sigh of frustration. It wasn’t that he was angry if Mondo was late, but that just met extra minutes of waiting in anxiety. What if Mondo thought he looked silly with all this makeup? What if he didn’t like the dress? All the confidence he once held within his bathroom had completely zipped from his body. And then he turned the corner into the lobby. His heart stopped. Mondo wasn’t only on time… he was early. “Oh… my…”

Mondo turned and removed a hand from his tight jean pocket, rubbing nervously at the back of his head. His normal pompadour had been let down, his hair pulled into a low ponytail in the back with lose bangs over his forehead. He then tugged at the collar of his button up shirt which had been left undone a few buttons down. Chihiro had always thought he was handsome, but had never really seen him outside of his school uniform, gym clothes, or gang jacket it. He looked really amazing in casual clothes. The nervous look on his face, however, showed he didn’t agree. “I look stupid… I’m… gonna go change,” the biker exclaimed, trying to zip past his small companion.

Chihiro reached out and snatched him by the hand, jerking him back in his path. “No… don’t… you look really good,” the small boy breathed from a smile, bringing Mondo’s hands up to his lips briefly to peck a kiss across the back of the man’s hand. Mondo half smiled for a moment before narrowing his eyes with a heavy blush.

“You look amazing...” he stuttered out himself, graciously looking his companion up and down. He stretched out his hand that was once brushed by Chihiro's lips and carefully ran it through the smaller boy's hair in admiration. Even through the make up, the programmer's blush shone. He thought about mentioning that Junko had made him look this way, but figured her name was better left unspoken for the remainder of the night. As he stood with his cheek in Mondo's palm, he didn't want anything to ruin their first date.

After a few more awes and admiration within the lobby of the school, the two eventually raced down the street on a pretty dangerous bike ride towards their dinner. Chihiro had never ridden in anything more than a bus, so the quick speeds, turns, and vibrations of Mondo's motorcycle was enough to make him want to die. Luckily, they both arrived safely, but not without Chihiro nearly clinging to the ground after Mondo had to pry him from the motorcycle seat. He liked to say he trusted himself in Mondo's hands, but on a motorcycle, maybe not.

Legs still shaking, Chihiro sat upright in their booth at the small sushi restaurant down the way. He nervously clicked his chopsticks apart as Mondo just leaned back in his chair with a proud, devious smirk. “Scared you, huh?” he laughed beneath his breath and Chihiro just nodded, tapping his sticks against the table top. After a few more laughs, Mondo's smile faded to a more serious one and he leaned forward, pressing his elbows against the table. “Didn't mean to scare you...” Chihiro just stared at his boyfriend, the phantom tremors from the bike still wracking his little body. But he would be lying if he said it wasn't nerves, too. He had never seen Mondo look so casual, and so handsome. He only wondered what the biker could be thinking of him. “Never really rode with anyone, so I drove a little crazy there... no one else I've ever been with wanted to ride with me.”

“Oh?” Chihiro thought to himself, clenching his chopsticks in the crook of his thumb and index finger. He flicked them together anxiously, knowing he should just choke down his next string of thoughts. But they circled in his head regardless. “Junko seems like the type to want to ride a motorcycle,” he thought bitterly, narrowing his eyes slightly. Why did that even matter? Because Junko was still hanging around, that's why. Because Mondo had never mentioned being with her. That's why. Chihiro gripped the chopsticks so hard, they began to impress into his palm.

“Did I scare ya that bad?” Mondo questioned, reaching across the table to press his hand against the top of his boy's. “I'm sorry, okay... normally ride with the gang and we do all sorts of crazy shit and...” Chihiro bit down on his lip as the man continued to apologize, trying to push back Junko's stupid face from his mind. Wasn't even the motorcycle ride that was the problem anymore. His legs had stopped shaking and the tremors were just his unsteady heart. He told himself to stop thinking of her. She wasn't sitting at this table right now, waiting on dinner for their first date. She wasn't standing outside with her face pressed against the window. She was just a harmless thought that was drilling his brain. Nothing more. “You... hold your chopsticks weird,” Mondo suddenly commented and Chihiro stared awkwardly at his hand.

“What?” the boy murmured, pursing his lips as he clicked them together, snapping them at Mondo's larger hand. “I have always held them this way... that's not weird.”

“Nah, you hold them like this,” Mondo grunted, taking the sticks and resting them between his fingers like he were holding a pencil. “See...” Chihiro stared and narrowed his eyes a bit before looking up at his man sarcastically. It was the weirdest thing he had ever seen, but he had never really paid attention to the way other people held their utensils. “Like this.” Mondo reached over the table, showing off the sticks before pinching the smaller one on the nose.

Chihiro wrinkled his nose and reached out for Mondo's chopsticks. “My father taught me like this...” he stated, pressing them in the crook between his thumb and index finger. They crossed at the crook and he moved one of the sticks with smoothly with just his thumb. “You hold them like this.”

“That just looks weird...”

“You look weird,” the boy shot back casually with a sneaky grin, feeling the stress in his body completely unload at his silly comment. He had been getting worked up over absolutely nothing. Mondo frowned lightly and suddenly stood up, Chihiro's little heart beginning to panic that he had upset him. But then his boyfriend coolly slid onto his side of the both beside him. Quietly, he took his hand and adjusted the chopsticks in the fashion that he would hold them.

“See, hold them like this and like... brace the bottom one with ya' ring finger and move the top one with ya' middle finger,” the man stated, holding his hands carefully around Chihiro's. The smaller boy shyly smiled from ear to ear as he lowered his head slightly, focusing on their hands together. It was moments like this that made his heart happy he had decided to give a relationship a chance. Chihiro had spent so long being terrified of being with another person. The kisses were nice, the cuddling was amazing, and just having someone to call his own was perfect. But these simple things... he blushed. Mondo was really careful with him. “Okay, you try. Pick up that napkin or something.”

Chihiro glanced at him with the chopsticks carefully perched between his fingers and gave a shaky smile. It didn't seem difficult, but for some reason he couldn't get his hand to stay the way he wanted. Reaching forward, he pressed the chopsticks together over the napkin... and they immediately fell between his thumb and index finger. He picked the napkin up the way he normally would. “Hmm...” he muttered to himself, setting the chopsticks down against the table.

“You're a mess,” Mondo grinned briefly, pecking a kiss across the little one's forehead. He then glanced around with an embarrassed frown at the idea of being affectionate in public. This was the first time they had been outside of school grounds together. Patting Chihiro on the shoulder, he got up from the seat and slid into his side of the booth.

Eventually dinner came and the two sat someone quietly in one another's company. It had begun to rain lightly outside, to which Mondo cursed himself because driving a motorcycle in the rain kind of felt like getting shot in the face if he went too fast. Chihiro was alright with the rain. It meant longer together in the little restaurant. “So you're really going away all holiday...?” Mondo questioned, his voice small and dejected as he rolled around a piece of sushi along his plate. “Like... the whole time?”

Chihiro bit down on his lip, staring at his hardly eaten plate. He hadn't really discussed it with Mondo, but figured it would have been obvious. Chihiro always left to see his dad during the holidays, even if not for the whole time. “Yeah... the whole time this time.” He could feel the gloom in his boyfriend's voice, his heart sinking a little bit that he hadn't spoken of it before. “It's been a while since I have seen him, you know...” The small boy wanted to offer for him to come along, but that would be so awkward. Where would Mondo sleep? How would Chihiro explain himself? His father already knew the biggest secret of his life, but bringing home a boy? Bringing home anyone would be weird. So he didn't offer. That time would come eventually. Just like the time to tell everyone his secret would come soon, too.

The two fell silent again. Mondo was visibly upset. He didn't do well with hiding his emotions. When he was angry, he would hit things, and his face would turn red. When he was sad, his eyes would darken and he would slouch over. The fact that he stopped cramming food in his face was another sign. Chihiro's lips bunched stiffly to the right of his face and he took a deep breath. “I think... I'm going to tell everyone at the Christmas party...”

Looking up from his plate, Mondo muttered, “Tell everyone what?” He asked in a tone that said he already knew. Chihiro shrunk slightly. He wasn't comfortable with it.

“About... me...” The boy glanced carefully around the restaurant. There were only a few other people gathered inside, and then the waitresses. But he was still cautious about revealing too much. “I want everyone to know... if... you're okay with...”

“Why?” Mondo's voice rose sharply, causing the small boy to sit up sternly in his seat. It wasn't loud enough to gather attention, but he was afraid that if the biker were to get mad, the entire restaurant would get involved. “We shouldn't have to tell anyone 'til we graduate, right? That's what you said.”

Chihiro rested his chopsticks against the table, adjusting the collar of his dress. He played with one of the bows adorned on it, trying to keep his nervous fingers busy. He did say that. In the laundry room, he mentioned he would wait as long as Mondo needed him too before saying anything to the others. But the more he waited, the more he lingered on his secret, the more he wanted to come out the class... the more uncomfortable he felt being himself. It was the first time in his life that he truly desired being honest to those around him. He was honest to Mondo and look where that had lead them. There really wasn't a need to tell the others after he had spent so long hiding it. But he would be able to sit happily among his peers without an stress of them accidentally finding out. They would already know, and hopefully, that would be alright.

It seemed that telling everyone now would have a more adverse effect on Mondo than anything. “I did say that,” Chihiro murmured in disappointment, folding his hands in his lap. “But I... want to tell them, you know? I don't really want to go the rest of our academy life having to hold back a secret... That would feel...”

“I know what it feels like. I'm already doing it,” Mondo shot back, firmly crossing his arms over his chest. His voice picked up a little more and Chihiro lowered his head in shame. He was being hidden. “We don't need to tell anyone.”

“But I want to!” Chihiro yelped, nearly slamming his knee against the table as he jumped slightly in his spot. With all his fear of Mondo's voice picking up, it was actually him who caught the attention of the others within the restaurant. The boy cowered down slightly, his face turning violently red as he tossed side glances at the fellow diners. “I... want to tell them...”

“There is literally no reason to tell anyone else while we're here, got it?” Mondo whispered back harshly as he leaned over the table, pressing his finger into it. Chihiro stared at him with a slightly scared whimper. There it was. The anger was building back up. He knew he had said he would hide it, but he was finally feeling confident enough to tell his classmates. Why couldn't Mondo understand that? Was Chihiro being selfish?

“If we can't tell our classmates, how are we going to tell our parents? How are we going to live the rest of our lives together?” Chihiro murmured back, knowing he was getting much too ahead of themselves. They hadn't even been together half a year yet. Not a single, “I love you,” had been muttered between them. But all this talk of him going to see his father was becoming stressful. He wanted to be able to bring Mondo. He wanted to be able to tell his father about someone who made him extremely happy. He wanted to be comfortable with his choices. He wanted to feel normal. “What happens when we start getting really serious... and one day we want to get married and invite everyone from school.” The words just began to flood out, much like the day in the laundry room. His heart wouldn't stop and everything he had been holding inside erupted from his tiny voice. “What are we going to do? Surprise! I'm a boy!”

He swallowed the second the words fled from his mouth, feeling the heat gathering all over his skin. Mondo's shoulders tensed up as he caught the curious glances of the other restaurant goers, giving Chihiro a look that said he really needed to keep quiet. But the anger bubbled and Chihiro suddenly wanted to leave. But he couldn't stop. The words just kept pouring from his lips. “Or are you just going to hide me then, too? Hide me like Junko.”

“Why do you keep bringin' her up?! I told you-”

“You and her dated! She told me! You can't hide that!” Chihiro flattened his hands against the top of the table and forcefully stood up, immediately wanting to take everything he just said back and eject himself from the situation. He had effectively ruined their date, and now people were staring. Except Mondo. He had stopped staring. He was now looking down at his feet beneath the table, knowing full and well that he had been ratted out. There was a desperate expression on his face and his lips moved as if he were searching his breath for words, but nothing came out. The smaller of the two slowly lowered himself back in his seat, reaching for his clutch which was resting on the booth vinyl. Sliding a handful of money out, he placed it on the table and muttered faintly, “I would like to go home now.”

“But... it's... raining out and-” Mondo tried.

“I want to go home,” Chihiro stated, firmly shutting his clutch before launching himself from the booth and disappearing outside.


	7. Chapter 7

Chihiro stepped out beneath the small awning outside the restaurant, clutching his bag against his chest. The temperature had dropped dramatically and the rain was falling heavier than before. He considered walking back to the academy as riding back on the motorcycle would not only hurt, but he would have the burden of awkwardly clinging to his boyfriend while being mad at him. But the rain was heavy and surely he would get sick. He glanced back through the window of the restaurant, seeing Mondo speaking as calmly as possible with the waitress, most likely trying to explain their quick departure. He was visibly upset, his shoulders slumped over heavily as he yanked his part of dinner from his wallet, handing it to the waitress. And then he stood. Chihiro looked away, anxiously clutching his bag. He could run now and maybe make it far enough that Mondo wouldn't see him. He knew an apology was in order from both of them, but for once, Chihiro knew he wasn't going to be able to muster one up. He was too upset. Too angry at Mondo for lying... and so broken up about ruining their first date.

The door swung open and Mondo immediately stormed over, placing a very firm hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, forcing him to face him. “What is wrong with you?” he yelped through the forceful rain just outside the awning. “We were having a good time, then you had to just blow up like that.”

“Junko had done my makeup for tonight,” he offered quietly, his small body trembling under Mondo's fingertips. He looked up, craning his neck in attempts to keep a stiff glance up at his boyfriend, but every time they met eyes, he found himself trying to pay attention to something else. He hated seeing Mondo's eyes so dark. “And she told me everything.”

“She doesn't matter!” Mondo then shot back, shaking Chihiro slightly. The smaller boy pulled away, his fingers pressing deeper into the cushy fabric of his clutch.

“She does matter! She won't leave me alone! And you're too scared to say anything to get her to stop!” the boy yelled as loud as his little voice would carry. Even through the rain and the cars drifting by, his mousy voice was heard loud and clear. Mondo stared at him for a long while with his lips slightly parted, searching his brain for a comeback. But like in the restaurant, he couldn't seem to force anything out as he knew he had been caught and there was no use fighting it. “She harasses me all the time... I tell her to stop, but she won't listen. Because she's jealous of me... or something... for being with you.”

The man brought a hand over his mouth and anxiously rubbed at his chin before turning away, crossing his arms over his strong chest. Chihiro stood awkwardly in place, letting his arms fall just a little bit, bringing his defense down. He knew Mondo was angry, but it had been a long while since he had hurt anyone out of anger. Chihiro didn't want to the be the one to spark the violence. “I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to bring her up. I know how much she pisses you off,” he admitted, scratching restlessly at the back of his head, messing up his ponytail a bit.

“It makes me angrier that I found out now when you could have told me before,” the boy shot back with a spat of animosity on his tongue. “And that you so actively denied being with her in the first place! Because you hide everything! You're too afraid to tell anyone anything that's important to you!” Chihiro reached out and firmly tapped his finger into Mondo's chest, his big, hazel eyes deepening in bitterness. They narrowed, tears brimming along the bottom lids as he felt his feeble body begin to shake. The rage from being lied to, the guilt of targeting his boyfriend, and the anguish of knowing he just wasn't worth the truth was enough to drive him to the edge. “You can't spend your whole life hiding!”

And with that, he pushed past Mondo and dashed into the heavy rain towards the tall building of the academy looming in the distance. The droplets beat onto his face and he held clutch over his forehead, although it didn't do much to aid his vision. The tears had spilled over and the pavement beneath his feet was just a blurry, wet mess. But he heard nothing around him. He didn't hear Mondo call out. Didn't hear the cars rushing past him. Even the sound of the rain was beginning to drown away. His heart was the only thing he heard. His heart telling him that even though he had the courage to call out Mondo on his faults, he was still running away like it would solve his own.

Eventually his breath hitched in his throat as his legs burned from the sprint through the rain. He slowed, his feet pattering against the damp sidewalk as he tried to catch his breath. His shoulders slumped forward and he leaned his head down, the rain hastily dripping from his hair. He was sure all of Junko's hard work was now leaking down his face. Not that it mattered. He didn't really care to impress Mondo anymore now that he had ruined their date. Taking a long, shaking breath, he huddled his arms against his chest, straying towards the right to remain under the awnings of the buildings. A few miles down the way was the academy, and judging how Mondo hadn't come zooming past just yet, it looked as though he was continuing his journey alone.

As his feet slowed against the sidewalk, he began to realize how selfish the both of them were. And maybe how wrong he had been for shoving the issue of Junko. Mondo had a point. She didn't matter. All her teasing, all her taunting, all her butting in where she didn't belong. She was doing it on purpose to get a reaction, and a reaction is what Chihiro gave her. Even if she wasn't here to witness it, she would probably hear of their argument through the grapevine. Thinking of her satisfaction made Chihiro hiss beneath his breath. If only he had some guts to chase her away. He had bickered back towards her, but never anything enough to phase her. She had thick skin and a nasty mouth, so any criticism thrown her way was often destroyed by a demeaning remark. She usually dug deep, too, and laughed it off like the idea of crushing someones feelings wasn't even a second thought in her mind. Chihiro couldn't defend himself against that. But Mondo could at least try.

There was a flash of light as a car whipped by, tossing a stream of water onto the sidewalk. At this point, he was soaked to the bone, and he cuddled his arms against himself, afraid that maybe his dress had gone see through. He glanced over his shoulder to catch anymore oncoming cars, but his eyes widened when he saw his boyfriend finally chasing him down the street. “No, no, no...” Chihiro murmured to himself, hastily scattering along the pavement as he stared ahead him like he had never seen Mondo at all. At this point, there was really no outrunning the man, and the only other path to escape was into traffic. And that seemed like a splendid idea if it meant avoiding this conversation.

“Hey!” Mondo yelled over the rain, reaching out to snatch up the smaller boy by the wrist. He forced Chihiro to face his direction, but the boy yanked his wrist from his grasp. “What is wrong with you?! You're gonna catch a fuckin' cold!”

The smaller boy stared down at the wet sidewalk, writhing his toes in the damp fabric of his shoes. He was freezing, shivering violently now that he realized how chilly the rain had made him. He would probably get sick, but that was the least of his worries. If he were sick, that would be an excuse to hide away in his room. “You done? Got this out of your system yet?” Mondo rambled on, throwing his arms in the air. He glanced behind him briefly, knowing his bike was about a mile down the road now. Riding in this rain was going to be miserable, but he didn't want to just leave it there. “Now you're soaked and we got to walk all the way back and wait for this rain to-”

“I'm just so tired of hiding!” Chihiro yelped through the thick rain, not even the sound of the cars whistling by enough to shroud him. “Of hiding... of being hidden... of things being hidden from me. I'm so tired of it.”

Mondo let his hands rest along his hips as he lowered his head towards the sidewalk, staring at the way the water pattered around their feet. In the shimmer of the rain, he could almost see Chihiro's defeated reflection. “I know you are...”

“Then why can't we just be honest with everyone? That's all I'm asking,” the shorter boy murmured, letting his little clutch fall to the ground. It splashed into a nearby puddle and although it could potentially destroy the contents inside, Chihiro had something else he would rather hold onto. He reached out with both cold, trembling hands and pressed them against Mondo's stomach, his forehead resting in the middle of his boy's chest.

Mondo let out a coarse laugh from the pit of his chest and Chihiro could hear the sarcastic anguish buried within it. “That's all?” His hands swung leisurely at his sides and the smaller of the two brought his shoulders into his partner, his little fingers twisting around the damp fabric of Mondo's button up shirt. He wanted his boyfriend to hold him, but even though he was pressed right up against him, Mondo couldn't feel more distant. “That's all... really?”

“How would you feel if I hid you?” Chihiro stated with his forehead stubbornly buried against his lover's chest, eyes narrowed and brows bent. “If I never talked about you to everyone else. If I... didn't tell everyone how our nights went, if I didn't hold your hand down the hallway...”

“But I don't do all those things, Chi. I kiss you, and hold your hand, and cuddle you all the time when-”

“When no one's looking...” His grip grew tighter. “You make sure to look around to check if anyone's there. If it weren't for the fact that Naegi walked in on us in the rec room... would anyone even know?” With a quick, sharp breath, Chihiro finally leaned his head back, his faded hazel eyes blinking away a small shroud of tears. Mondo was still looking down, however looking past his lover towards the sidewalk as if he were afraid to make eye contact. Despite his bitter laugh just seconds ago, there wasn't even so much of a defiant smirk across his lips. He looked distraught, his pale eyes wavering, a film of tears glazing over there.

Stepping backwards, Mondo grabbed Chihiro firmly by the shoulders, shooting his glance across the street briefly. Was he checking for people again? “You think I don't want to do those things in front of people?” he spat, his voice harsh and even cracking a bit. For the first time in a while, Chihiro could tell that his boyfriend was dangerously close to tears. There had only been one other time he had actually seen him cry, and that was during their heartfelt confessions in the laundry room. He heard him cry once long ago from behind closed doors after his brother had died, but even during such a harsh time, Mondo didn't let tears fall in front of his classmates. Probably because he feared being harassed, even though everyone understood his sadness at the time. “You honestly think I don't want to... show everyone how much... I love being with you.”

Hold on. Love? Chihiro's heart skipped a beat. Mondo's emotions were causing him to mix up his words was all, because certainly he didn't mean it like that. If he really... loved him... he would show it easier, right?

“You can! You can show them and you can hold my hand while they're there and you can-”

“Every time I so much as look at you, I'm afraid they know!” Mondo yelled, shaking his small companion slightly. He wasn't trying to be mean, he wasn't trying to talk his boyfriend down. Pure anxiety wracked his features. His arms were stiff and he gritted his teeth so hard, they felt as though they may snap. “I can't do anything without thinking someone knows. Someone knows you're a boy, and then they know that I'm...” He paused as if the word itself was banished from their language. He cautiously looked around before choking out. “They would make fun of me...”

Chihiro knew exactly how he felt. After all, he had the same sinking feeling for years. Chihiro was always very cautious of the way he sat, afraid that if he didn't cross his legs correctly, he would come off as unfeminine and someone would spy his secret. His vocabulary was well thought out, meticulous and quaint to avoid saying anything a normal girl wouldn't. Every agonizing, waking second was spent carefully controlling every aspect of his life into being a girl to further feed to the lie. Until he was with Mondo. He would say things so unlike “himself”, kid around with the other boys because it made him feel like that was where he belonged. He brought the group together because he wanted to share his happiness, and even if that meant mass attention fleeing in his direction, he didn't care. Showing off Mondo and the patter he felt in his heart when around him was enough to make him want to throw out his sheltered and secretive past. Because being with Mondo made him feel confident enough to finally be himself.

But that took him years. It very well couldn't take Mondo just four months.

“They won't make fun of you if you're confident about it,” Chihiro breathed with his little fingers still wrapped into Mondo's button up shirt. “If you don't believe in yourself, that just gives others a pathway to step all over you.” Like Junko. He didn't have enough confidence to properly stand up to her yet, and with no one else defending him, he couldn't win. Even when she played nice, Chihiro was intimidated.

Mondo's grip around Chihiro's shoulders loosened and he rubbed at the cold, lightly freckled skin on his arms. Traveling along his neck, Mondo's fingers rested along the smaller boy's flushed cheeks, a small whimper of a frown dabbing at his lips. He looked like he could cry at any moment. “I want to do those things in front of other people,” Mondo stated, pressing his forehead again Chihiro's. He swallowed down a breath, intensely shutting his eyes to stop himself from crying. Chihiro wanted to whisper to him that it was alright to let go if it made him feel better, but getting him to admit this much was good enough. “I want to kiss you right in front of the guys, cuddle when we're playing games with them, and hold hands with you in the hallways, but I just keep thinking... they know. And they're laughing at me when I'm not around...”

“Mondo, you...”

The man interrupted him with a brief kiss, letting out another hot breath when their lips parted. He couldn't sputter out the words fluttering in his head, but wanted to get them out so badly, so distracting his small lover with kisses was his only escape. Chihiro welcomed them warmly, although he could feel the hesitation behind Mondo's lips. “Every time I'm with you I think... this is it... you couldn't have found a better person and I wanna show you off to everyone...”

Chihiro smiled faintly, bringing a hand over one of Mondo's perched against his cheek. He felt his knees growing weak, shivering together at such sweet comments. Gentle words didn't escape Mondo's lips often, and although he stumbled and searched his brain endlessly for them, when he said them, Chihiro felt like he could take flight at any moment. “You're someone I want to take home to my mom and finally go home for a Christmas break and be like... look at this person,” Mondo admitted with half a smile and the shorter boy felt his knees nearly give way as he clutched Mondo's hips for support, pressing his lips just beneath the biker's chin with a furious blush. “Look at how amazing he is and how happy he makes me...”

“Mondo,” Chihiro whimpered, pulling his shivering body much closer so that they were basically melting into one another, Mondo leaning over him so that the smaller boy's back was arched slightly. Almost as if he were using his body to shield Chihiro from the rest of the downpour.

“And that I found this person I just fell in love with, and I couldn't be happier, and I wish I could treat him better, but...” The biker continued to ramble but Chihiro felt his body stiffen at a certain word. That single word he had muttered earlier and Chihiro assumed it was just a fluke. But twice now couldn't have been coincidence.

Bringing his hand up to lightly cover Mondo's lips, the smaller boy murmured with a sideways and dumbfounded smirk, “What did you say?” The biker was so caught off guard that he nearly bit Chihiro's fingers trying to spit out the rest of his words. It took him a second to trace back everything he said and Chihiro removed his hand. “Did you say you... fell...”

“In love with ya'... yeah.” Mondo kissed the tip of Chihiro's nose, and then another kiss on his cheek, followed by one along his jawline as the words just stopped coming suddenly. He kept making sounds like he had more to say, but was so wrapped up in trying not to cry, nothing came out but a sea of kisses along Chihiro's faintly freckled skin. The small boy giggled with a little choke of his own, his entire body feeling weightless with delight. Someone loved him. He loved him. Mondo... loved him.

“Okay...” Chihiro breathed through the onslaught of gentle pecks and the occasional tongue against his lips. Okay? What a horrible response. But he couldn't get anything else out, he was so overcome with happiness. He nearly felt like jumping into Mondo's arm, he felt so airy.

“Okay,” Mondo repeated with one final kiss across the kid's lips, staring with bright eyes towards his small companion. “Not... what... I shouldn't have... said that?”

“No, no... yes!” Chihiro chirpped, accidentally letting himself lean back much too far, causing their weight to shift awkwardly. Mondo jerked his hands from the boy's face, immediately slinking them towards the bottom of Chihiro's dress to catch him just along the thighs before they both came crashing to the slippery sidewalk. The tiny boy instinctively wrapped his knees around Mondo's waist, his arms strewn around his neck to keep himself still against his man's body. Now standing upright, Mondo cradled his arms beneath his boyfriend's bottom. “You're doing this in public, you know?” Chihiro muttered with a sheepish blush, rubbing his nose playfully against Mondo's.

Swallowing, Mondo considered letting the boy slide back to the ground, but he really enjoyed the feeling of Chihiro needing his support. For a second, he considered looking around to see if anyone was watching, but mentally smacked himself from the habit. It shouldn't care who saw him. If they didn't like what they saw, they could turn away. “I fell in love with you, too,' Chihiro admitted with a shaky smile, happy tears leaking from his eyes. “A long time ago, but I felt stupid saying it...”

“You shoulda said something sooner and maybe I wouldn't sound like such an idiot all the time,” Mondo grinned back, finally letting Chihiro slide to the ground. His little body shivered and Mondo stepped behind him, wrapping his strong arms around the boy's bare shoulders. “I really need you... to be patient with me.”

“I told you that if I had to wait forever to say anything, I would,' Chihiro stated as they awkwardly began walking back towards the restaurant to retrieve Mondo's motorcycle, waddling like a set of penguins in the cold. The rain was still coming down and chances were, they were going to have to sit it out a while before it was safe to ride home. But now with the flutter retaining in his heart, he was alright with staying out all night if it meant sitting beside Mondo. “I'm just... excited to finally feel like myself. But I know you still need time.”

“I'm not hiding you because I'm not proud of you, if that's what you've been thinking,” the biker stated with his arms firmly wrapped around his loved one, keeping him warm from the misty night rain. “And I'm sorry for not sayin' anything to Junko... or about her. She really... doesn't matter.”

“You're right. She doesn't... but it would be nice if you would let me in on stuff,” Chihiro hummed, stopping his weight briefly underneath a larger awning. The shop had closed hours ago, as many did during the week, so all the lights were out. Nothing but a street light down the way, and a few dimmed jewelry cases inside the shop. He turned around, pressing his hands firmly against Mondo's shirt, letting off a fond smile at the way his fingertips glided over his man's stomach beneath. “Like more about your brother... or your family, or maybe why things with Junko didn't work so I won't repeat her mistakes.”

Mondo smirked briefly with another sarcastic laugh, absently averting his gaze across the street. Not because he was checking for anyone, but as if he felt weird talking about Junko. Chihiro smiled himself, laying a kiss in the center of his boyfriend's chest. “You won't have to worry about that,” Mondo stated, leaning down to take his partner in a quick kiss. “She doesn't matter, remember...”

“Right.” The smaller boy smiled precariously. “It's nice knowing she is completely jealous of me, though...”

Mondo narrowed his eyes with a thick blush spreading over his tan cheeks and he looked out into the rain. Before they had started dating, he never knew Chihiro to be capable of sarcastic and otherwise demeaning comments, but it seemed that maybe a little bit of the biker had been rubbing off on him. He felt proud... but he always felt proud of Chihiro. “Yeah, well, she never got an 'I love you' from me... so try not to rub it in her face too much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure why this chapter took me so long because it's not even that long of a chapter. I guess it's because I have a hard time describing these two being romantic because I don't think they would be a generically romantic sort of couple. It would come with a lot of crying, a lot of yelling, and a lot of awkwardness. Not sure how I feel about this chapter, but glad I finally got it out to everyone.


	8. Chapter 8

The fall dissipated, the colorful leaves crumbling from the trees as snow began to litter the ground. Staring out the cafeteria window from the little kitchen, Chihiro cocked his head slightly as he waited for the timer on the stove to go off. In just a few hours, the group would kick off their holiday party before everyone parted ways for Christmas vacation. Tomorrow morning, Chihiro would be catching a bus to his father's house alone, so he knew it was in his best interest to not go crazy with the alcohol this time. He didn't handle hang overs well at all and didn't want to show up at his father's door in a crabby mess.

Taking in a deep breath, his heart warmed at the smell of the cookies baking within the oven. The sugary scent filled his nose and he stared at the timer eagerly. Trips away from the academy always made him anxious, and it didn't matter how many times he went to see his father, he always got nervous butterflies. Maybe it was because he was finally feeling comfort within the academy walls, or because he had exciting news to babble on to his father over the holidays. But he was nervous.

"Man, that smells good," Leon whistled as he stepped into the doorway. He stopped, leaning his back against the door frame with an almost longing gaze out towards the dinning part of the cafeteria. "Are those Sayaka's cookies?"

"They are," Chihiro hummed with a brief roll of his eyes. It didn't matter how awkwardly obvious he was about his growing affection for Sayaka, the beautiful songbird never took notice. Or if she did, she was very smooth about denying him every step of the way. "She went to get ready for the party, though, and asked me to take them out of the oven."

"So she's not coming back here anytime soon?" Disappointment dripped from Leon's agape mouth. He gave a long side glance into cafeteria before staring above him where a mistletoe hung carefully from the frame.

"Probably not until the party," Chihiro offered, shaking his head slightly. They hung the mistletoe up as a joke and the only two people who would be caught kissing beneath it may be just himself and Mondo. Even though they had their little out almost a month ago, the affection hadn't gotten much more public than before, but Mondo was working on it.

Shrugging, Leon crossed his arms over his chest and pouted his lip a bit. "I'll wait then," he stated, staring back into the kitchen. "You excited to see your dad?"

The boy wavered on his heels for a moment as he readied himself with the nearby over mitts. Just a couple more minutes and those delicious sugar cookies would be done. The tables outside were already adorned with plenty of holidays sweets, but a few sugar cookies could certainly fit. "Yeah, I am," he mumbled with a brief, shaking smile. It was his father. There was really nothing to be nervous about. His father was a kind, nervous man who had always been very supportive of Chihiro's actions. Although telling him of a new boyfriend... or a relationship in general was going to come as quite a shock. But he knew his father would take it well. Hopefully. "It's been since the summer. I miss him a lot."

"Yeah, I miss my parents sometimes... but can't stick around them too long. They make me start cleaning and shit and it's like... I'm a grown man. I'll clean when I want," Leon ranted, wrinkling up his nose before flicking his tongue against his lip piercing. Chihiro hid back his comment about how alike he was to Mondo at times, with the rampant attitude and using backhanded statements to cover up their real feelings. Except that Mondo would never disrespect his mother. From the sounds of it, she would beat him if necessary.

"You would rather be staying with Maizono-san and her parents, correct?" Chihiro smirked from the side, rubbing his eager hands together as mere seconds counted down on those cookies now. He had been so busy all day doing his share to prepare for the party that he hadn't eaten. Yet another reason not to drink tonight. Alcohol would hit him like a truck.

Leon puffed up one of his cheeks in aggravation that he didn't really have anywhere to go for the holidays. He could visit his parents, really, but like he said, didn't want to stick around to long. But he hadn't been invited to leave with anyone who would be sticking around the academy for the holidays. Like Sayaka, who was going to stay with her family and catch up with her fellow idols. His eyes scanned the cafeteria for the girl, but she was nowhere to be seen. "You should just ask her out already. It's not hard," Chihiro stated, as if he knew the magic to relationships. It took a lot of crying and yelling to snag the man he had now, and that was really by accident. He hoped Leon wouldn't have to go through that hardship.

"You're a girl, you can say stuff like that," Leon scoffed and Chihiro clenched his fingers briefly beneath the gloves. Right. "It's easy for you guys. You just have to be cute... and then crush our hearts when you turn us down." Right... Chihiro took in a deep breath as the timer finally sounded and he yanked open the over door carefully. Leon peered over curiously and waited for a response, but none came as the smaller boy tended to the cookies. "You think maybe you could... kind of pry for me. Maybe you ask what she thinks of me?"

"I told you, I'm not that close with her," Chihiro grumbled in aggravation. He did get along with the girls, yes. He did spend a lot of time around them. But it was never spent chatting over the guys, unless Junko was being especially nosy about Mondo and himself. Which recently, she almost seemed to back off. Her distasteful comments had slowed and she didn't seem to randomly appear at his door as often. And Chihiro hadn't said anything to her. Perhaps she had finally taken the hint and buried her jealousy deep down. Somehow he knew he wasn't that lucky, though. "Just be honest with her. If it doesn't work, then maybe it wasn't meant to be..."

Leon grunted and then darted his attention quickly towards the plant dangling above his head. "And that... is not going to work, either," Chihiro laughed, setting the pan of freshly baked cookies along the stove top. His fingers tingled at the warmth through the over mitts and he beamed as the sugary scent wafting into his nose. This was going to be a good Christmas regardless of his nerves.

"Outta my way," a gruff voice announced as Mondo tried to awkwardly shimmy through the door with Leon blocking the way. Leon pressed his back as far as he could against the door frame, just in case Sayaka zipped through the kitchen. He didn't want to miss his opportunity, even if meant an awkward tango with the biker. "Dude, move."

"I'm waiting," Leon pressed, rolling his eyes towards the cafeteria. Eventually, Mondo shoved him by the shoulder into the kitchen, making room for himself to step inside. Being so tall, he nearly knocked his head into the mistletoe that was sloppily hanging from the door frame. "What's your problem?"

"Nothin'," Mondo grumbled and immediately Chihiro could tell that he was uneasy about something. He didn't like speaking to Leon all that often, unless they had to when hanging in a group. Despite that they had made amends from their nasty fight years ago, they still didn't care for one another. "Get out of here."

"'Scuse me? Kitchen is free reign," Leon snapped back, defiantly taking a stance beneath the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest. He cocked his eyebrow with a snarl tugging at his up lip as Mondo just simple shot him a glance of annoyance. Chihiro adverted his attention to the cookies instead, watching them cool against the pan.

"Dude, just get the fuck out. I need to talk to Chihiro," his boyfriend muttered beneath his breath, as if holding his temper in his throat. The smallest in the room ducked his shoulders a bit. Was something wrong? He wasn't going to try to beg him to stay for the holidays again, was he? They had been up into the late hours of the night arguing a bit about Chihiro leaving. Mondo could be pretty clingy when others weren't around.

Leon narrowed his eyes and frowned, deciding that it wasn't worth his time to linger around in the kitchen is Sayaka wasn't to be back for a while. "Whatever, loser," he groaned, disappearing through the door into the cafeteria.

Chihiro grinned briefly at the exchange, but he could feel anxious tingles building within his stomach. He didn't want to leave the academy for holiday break on a bad note, so hopefully it wasn't anything major on his boyfriend's mind. "Those just get done?" Mondo question as he came behind Chihiro, leaning over him and resting his elbows atop his partner's shoulders.

"Yes, and they're really hot, so don't touch them, please," the smaller boy warned. Despite the caution, the man reached out anyway to snatch up one of the sugar cookies while they were still gooey and warm. He narrowly escaped a smack from an oven mitt, ducking away while shoving the delicious confection into his mouth. "Mondo! Those are for the party!"

"Yeah, well, they're better when they come outta the oven," Mondo gleamed, crumbs falling from his lips. He dusted them away as Chihiro sternly popped his hands over his hips. "You got a second or do you still need to get ready?" The smile once spread across his lips dissipated as he swallowed down the rest of the cookie, staring awkwardly at the floor. His body looked heavy and there was something thick in his mind. Chihiro tossed off his oven mitts, reaching out to flatten a few wrinkles in his boyfriend's shirt.

With an uneasy smile, he wrapped his arms around Mondo's bigger form. "I still need to get ready but... what's wrong?"

The biker tensed up his shoulders, but patted his partner's back before stiffly returning the hug. He leaned down just a bit so he could rest his chin atop Chihiro's head with a loud sigh. The gesture felt warm, but Mondo's body felt rigid in the smaller boy's arms. He was upset that Chihiro was leaving. This is the same way he felt last night when they gave their last embrace before bed. The tiny boy let out a loud sigh, not wanting to have this argument again. "Mondo, you know I-"

"You gonna tell everyone tonight?" the man blurted and Chihiro leaned back with a rapid shake of his head. His mouth dropped in astonishment at his question. Tell them... his secret? After their giant blow up a month ago and Mondo begging him to be patient. He didn't think the man would come around so soon. "About..."

"But I thought you didn't want me to!" Chihiro whispered hastily, warily glancing towards the kitchen doorway. There were a few students on the far side of the cafeteria, but no one within ears reach of their conversation. But like the laundry room on the day when they angrily confessed their feelings, he was uneasy that someone may stroll by and hear something they weren't meant to. He took in quick, shaking breaths, his heart not prepared to spill this evening. "You said you needed time..."

"I thought about it... and... if that's what you want, I want you to tell them," Mondo stated with an agitated hitch in his throat. It was like he meant well, but the words that poured out seemed bitter. Definitely scared. His entire body was racked with apprehension.

Chihiro wanted to believe him, but he was always like this. One second, he was angrily thrashing around in desperation to keep everything about them hidden, and the next he was shouting to the world that he wanted their secrets out. So as sweet as the gesture seemed, Chihiro was doubtful that this was what Mondo really wanted. "You sure? Would you be able to handle the backlash alone after I left? Because even if I tell everyone... I'm still going to my father's for break." He didn't mean for it to come out so negatively. Chihiro was hopeful that many of their classmates would be supportive. But there would come a lot of judgment as well.

Mondo's embrace grew tighter around Chihiro's shoulders before he hunched down a little further so they were at eye level with one another. The taller man ran his fingers through his partner's soft hair, touching their foreheads together. "Yeah..." was all he said heavily. "Yeah..." The man bit down on his lip hard and he looked ready to cry, which was a thing he only did in front Chihiro and very rarely when things were really cumbersome in his mind. Hiding all his thoughts resulted in another aggravated click between clenched teeth and eventually he stood taller, pecking a kiss atop his lover's head. Chihiro frowned. He didn't really want to do this.

"It's okay," the boy murmured, flattening his hands against his boyfriend's stomach. "Let's get through Christmas and then tell everyone. I really don't feel comfortable telling everyone and then leaving you behind..." He really didn't think Mondo could handle the pressure of everyone's response. Even if they were all supportive and understanding, there was always that sneaking suspicious that everyone was against you. Chihiro lived years under the assumption that someone here knew, or was going to find out, and someone would be really cruel about it. He always feared having to leave this place because there would be someone who couldn't handle the truth properly and would torment him. But because he was more friendly and Mondo had hurt and irritated a lot more people, Chihiro feared more for his boyfriend. People would be a lot more relentless with Mondo.

"I want people to know... I thought maybe we could get it off our shoulders and maybe I would... go home and tell my mom." He anxiously glanced out the window behind him, running his fingers through his long hair. Ever since Chihiro told him how amazing he looked on the night of their date, he started wearing his hair down a lot more. The smaller of the two pressed his hands against his chest, hovering over his unsteadily beating heart. His mother? He couldn't help a small, proud smile from forming, knowing that their relationship was maybe helping Mondo want to mend his broken family. He did speak of his mother, and always in good light, but it wasn't often that he left to see her. In fact, it wasn't since his brother died that he actually saw her. "She will probably be disappointed..."

"I think she will probably be happy to see her son," Chihiro beamed, reaching up to take his boyfriend's cheeks in his palms. He stood tall on his tip toes and pulled his handsome man down, giving him a brief smooch before taking in a large breath. "If that's what you want me to do..." he sighed, a shiver coursing down his back. Chihiro had prepared himself and then backtracked so many times about telling their classmates that it was starting to hurt his heart being so conflicted. But if this was the night Mondo wanted to air their secret, then he would just build his strength back up once more. One shout out to the class, and then it was just being strong from here on out. And not only for himself, but for Mondo, too. A man who was very strong physically, but not in his heart. "Then we will tell everyone tonight."

"Yeah..." the man muttered, a low sigh of hesitance seeping from his lips.

"But..." The small boy squished his boyfriend's cheeks between his palms, pressing his forehead against his lover's. Although he was trying to calm him, he didn't want Mondo to slip by with conflicted feelings. The biker had to be on his side for this or things were going to fail. "You can't change your mind and you have to stick with me on this because it will be hard for both of us... okay?"

A long pause of silence came between them, Chihiro already feeling uneasy about the decision. It would be hard either way, but if Mondo decided to go back on his decision last minute and leave Chihiro hanging, it would be far worse. "Don't worry," Mondo then smiled, and although it did seem a little forced, it was still very handsome. He hesitated for a while, giving off a look that said he was searching for all the courage in his heart and the right words for this situation. "I won't... mess this up."

"Okay, because once we tell everyone, there's no going back and then-"

"I said okay," Mondo grunted, standing up straight and cocking his hands on his hips. Chihiro tugged down his hands, using them to flatten down the shirt of his school uniform. He hadn't changed yet since class this morning. The taller man looked behind him out the window, seeing the snow falling all over the outside courtyard. He hadn't been for a good drive on his bike for a while because things had gotten so slick thanks to the ice. He would be a lot less tense today if he could at least hit the road. So instead he punched his pillow a few times before gathering up his bravery to let Chihiro know he was the most ready he was ever going to be for this moment. "You think they... will... be okay with it all?"

Chihiro thought about this all the time. He assumed that most everyone would be alright with the announcement as they were mostly supportive of everything that happened within the academy walls. And they all knew each other well enough that even the tougher things to swallow would be smoothed out in no time. But he couldn't lie to himself by saying everyone would be alright. "I'm sure most everyone will be cool with it," Chihiro admitted, pressing his hands against his chest as he also stared out the window. There was a sloppily built snowman outside in the courtyard. "I'm sure Leon will have his comments, however. Maybe Fukawa..." Although she lived for that stuff. Chihiro smiled internally, wondering if it would spark the literally genius' imagination. Or if they would possibly become the next fascination in Hifumi's works. "And Junko... she... will harass me. But I'm prepared for that."

"I won't let her do that," Mondo stated quite gruffly, finally looking away from the window. A nervous, but warm smile graced his face and Chihiro felt a little relief flutter in his heart. "I'll stand up for you if anyone bullies you... As long as you do the same for me so I don't lose my temper."

"I think people will be more scared of bullying you," the smaller of the two grinned, reaching up to pinch his lover's nose. "It's going to be fine... everything will be fine." With a firm nod, he turned towards the tray of cookies, ready to pass on this conversation so they could begin celebrating with the group. Things really would be fine, even if there were a couple complainers. Everything would be out in the open and the two of them could stop being so apprehensive. "I still need to get ready for the party if you don't mind putting those on a plate and setting them on the table out there, please."

Mondo nodded before pressing a kiss along his boyfriend's forehead, reaching around him to snatch up another warm cookie. He crammed it into his mouth and Chihiro huffed, sternly narrowing his eyes. "Stop eating the cookies!" The taller man smiled through a mouth full of cookie before making haste towards the doorway to get out of trouble and putting the cookies on the table. "I don't think so, young man."

Reaching out, Chihiro grabbed his lover by the back of his shirt and yanked him with all the strength he could muster back against the doorway. Mondo wiped the cookie crumbs from his face with the back of his hand, revealing a devious smile as he glanced above them at the mistletoe. The two stood silently in the doorway and Chihiro looked away towards the cafeteria, as he could tell where that look across his boyfriend's face would lead. Of course they would hang the mistletoe here. In plain sight of everyone in the cafeteria. He stared up at his boyfriend from the corner of his eye, seeing the biker playfully puckering up his lips. "Not here," Chihiro murmured in embarrassment, his cheeks flushed a vibrant red. Gathered around the table was a few of their fellow classmates waiting for the party to start.

"Not here? But isn't that what this thing is for?" Mondo grunted, pointed above them at the sad little mistletoe plant.

"Maizono-san thought it would be a cute idea, but didn't think anyone would end up underneath it... and there are people over there who can see us so-" Chihiro's words were stolen away by a small peck before Mondo stood upright, scratching nervously at the back of his neck. They held hands, hugged, and patted one another's back in public, but never kissing. Chihiro was always afraid Ishimaru might banish them from the school. "I was going to say that... I... still needed to get ready... so," the boy breathed through burning cheeks, trying to suppress a giggle as he stared at his classmates. No one even noticed. Whispering, he let the rest of the words escape his lips. "If you met me in my room in about fifteen minutes..."

"I can do that," Mondo stated abruptly before Chihiro could even finish his statement, darting from the doorway to retrieve the cookies off the stove. The smaller boy giggled, bunching up his shoulders slightly. They had enough time for a few kisses before the party...

"You two are disgusting," a voice suddenly announced, Junko storming through the kitchen like her entire night had been ruined already. "I haven't even drank anything yet and I already want to vomit." Her tone read that she was kidding, but it was so distasteful that Chihiro huffed out loud. Mondo stared down at the cookies, carefully shoveling them to a holiday patterned plate with a nearby spatula. He didn't even look up at the sound of Junko's voice, although she very closely walked behind him with a very shrill laugh. Silently, Mondo picked up the plate and rushed into the cafeteria without so much of a grunt towards his partner. Chihiro watched him disappear, then averting his attention towards the model. So much for standing up for him... He took back everything he thought previously about her leaving him alone recently. "You guys making out on the kitchen counter again? Are we going to have to warn people about those cookies?"

"We never did that on the kitchen counter..." Chihiro breathed, narrowing his eyes as his statement insinuated that they had made out elsewhere. And they had. And had gotten caught numerous times. But, no, not in the kitchen. The boy looked away, about ready to turn out the kitchen before he let her spoil his night. He was going to have a good night, regardless of what she felt. Even if she was going to beat him into the ground after he revealed his secret to the class. He was going to have a good night. "I need to get ready now."

"I need to get these drinks ready so everyone can get wasted!" Junko yelped, flinging open the refrigerator door. "Are you drinking tonight? Do I need to tone down how much alcohol I put in this or-"

"I won't be drinking tonight, but thank you for being so considerate," Chihiro said pleasantly, a fake smile adoring his face.

Junko hummed to herself, yanking a few things from the fridge before searching the cabinets for a pitcher. "Why? I think you may need it... you know, nerves of the holiday break and everything." Chihiro narrowed his eyes, bracing himself against the door frame. He never mentioned to her about being anxious for leaving. He never mentioned anything to her. "We all feel a little funny when we leave the academy... I have a feeling tonight's going to be interesting." Swallowing, the boy apprehensively shifted from one foot to the other. It certainly was. "Holiday break always makes people feel like they need to... share... I guess."

Startled by her eerily correct words, the boy back stepped into the cafeteria, wondering how she could be so accurate. Chihiro hadn't said anything. Mondo obviously hadn't said anything. She was really going to harass him after they told and he just reminded himself that he was strong. Stronger than her, stronger than anyone here because he had held this weight on his shoulders for much too long. He passed by his boyfriend, slyly placing his hand along the biker's back on his way towards the main hallway. With a sideways smirk and an adorably awkward wink towards his man, he lifted his head high as he trudged towards his bedroom. Tonight was going to be interesting for sure, but alright. Everything was going to be alright.


	9. Chapter 9

The party began without a hitch. The group gathered in the cafeteria, sharing drinks and fun stories they never had a chance to tell during academy life. Parties were the only time they got to be themselves and relax, for the most part. For some of them, it took a little liquid courage, but for most of them, it just took nice company and the evening off. Sitting in a quiet corner of the cafeteria, Chihiro tucked his heels beneath his chair and stared at his fellow classmates. Mondo sat in a chair beside him, thumbing the edge of his almost empty cup. “Are you having fun?” Chihiro questioned, noticing his boyfriend's cheery red cheeks. After the drinking game he endured with some of the other guys, Mondo was quite drunk. Chihiro sat this one out, especially with their announcement bubbling within his mind.

“Yeah, I am,” Mondo grinned, nuzzling his chin against Chihiro's shoulder. He brushed his lips against the smaller boy's blushing cheek, letting a laugh escape against his skin. “You?”

“Yes,” Chihiro giggled himself, bunching up his shoulders because his boyfriend's breath tickled. They had been residing in the cafeteria for a while now and soon here, Chihiro was going to need sleep for his bus ride tomorrow. Although he was enjoying the company and the fact that his boyfriend was having fun, he wanted to get this secret off his shoulders. He had been harboring it for much too long and wanted everyone to know. And everyone seemed happy, meaning there was a possibility they would be less inclined to pick on him. Able to accept the secret easier. Things were going to be okay. He just kept telling himself that. “You think we should... tell everyone now?”

“Right now?” Mondo slurred and narrowed his eyes. His once charming, but goofy smile diminished and he set his cup on the table. “But we got... like hours. It can wait.”

“But it's getting kind of late and you know I need to be up early,” Chihiro explained, turning his face to meet his partner's. Mondo jerked his head up, startled when his chair shifted. He had been lifting the front legs off the ground since his feet were of course propped on the table. Slamming both the legs of his chair and his own feet on the ground, he sat up straight in his chair. “You said you wouldn't back out...”

There was a long pause of silence as Mondo seemed to gaze over the entire cafeteria. He studied their fellow classmates, his eyelids drooped in a drunken demeanor. Everyone was having a awesome time, and despite her sparked interest earlier, Junko had left them be the rest of the night. She was currently across the way, squishing into some selfies with Leon and Sayaka in attempts to bring them closer. She was the unofficial resident match maker, except she wasn't that great at it. Chihiro narrowed his eyes. She would be the harshest on the two. She looked for reasons to pick on everyone, so the couple handing her one was going to be free fuel. But Chihiro accustomed to her incessant nonsense. It was the dirty looks and whispered words from others that he feared the most. But that wouldn't happen. Everything would be fine.

Reaching beneath the table, Chihiro squeezed his boyfriend's hand. He leaned his head to the left, resting his warm cheek against Mondo's shoulder. “I know,” the biker groaned, lowering his head just a bit. His body shivered for a moment as he stared into the bottom of his now empty up, watching the way the few last drops slipped along the base. He took in a huge breath and looked around. For a second it look as though he was searching for the quickest way out of the cafeteria. “I... won't...” His voice was hesitant. His fingers tightened around Chihiro's beneath the table and he just stared. Stared at all their classmates while they chatted with one another, laughing and smiling. Preparing to enjoy the holiday ahead of them.

“Just think of how much easier this will be...” Chihiro offered, squeezing his boy's hand. They did show affection in front of the others, but Mondo was still always so hesitant. Chihiro could not understand if Mondo was nervous to show his love in front of the classmates because it embarrassed him. Or because he didn't want to lead on to their secret. He was affectionate behind closed doors to the point where they had almost... well, kind of like the first night they hit it off. But around the group, he was antsy and would duck behind corners just to steal a kiss. Despite being the first to say it, he would just bumble to himself when Chihiro would say “I love you” around others.

Feeling the weight of his boy's head against his shoulder, Mondo swung his attention towards his partner. His eyes followed all the way down Chihiro's arm where their hands tangled beneath the table. They hid, their hands a secret from the rest of the crowd. Although anyone looking over was smart enough to notice the hand hold, he still felt more comfortable with it at their side. Although... “That would be nice...” he stated and Chihiro sighed through a smile.

“Then let's tell everyone right now,” the smaller boy stated, his voice as firm as his grip around Mondo's hand. He noticed a quick shift in the mass of students. Junko had propelled herself from the photo taking, shouting something across cafeteria. With the music and other chatter it was a little difficult to hear her, though. It seems as though she had come up with some fabulous idea, but it seemed it was only interesting to her. A few of the other students laughed and hollered along side her before she headed their way. An ecstatic Asahina trailed behind her.

“We're going to go swimming!” Asahina yelped, slamming her hands down against the table, causing Mondo to jerk in his chair. He had drank far too much.

Chihiro sniffled through his nose, the word bringing a shiver up his spine. Back to this again. He stared at Junko, who crossed her arms beneath her bosom with a sense of pride. She came up with this idea and she gave a look to Chihiro like she knew. She knew he didn't like dressing out, and she knew he didn't like swimming. “Have fun,” the boy giggled anyway, feeling Mondo's hand retreat from their hold. His boyfriend perched his elbows against the table top, staring down towards his lap as if he were going to be sick. But Mondo wasn't doing it because he was ill. He didn't want to look at Junko.

“Have fun? You're coming with us! Both of you,” Junko purred, sliding her finger across the table towards Mondo. Chihiro watched her tap at the top of his hand until the biker glanced up, immediately adverting his attention across the room. When ignored, she instead reached out and raked her fingers through his hair. “Don't want to get your pretty hair messed up?” she laughed and Chihiro stiffened in his chair. She was doing it on purpose. "Although it would look good all wet since you let it down..." Chihiro huffed. Only he could tell Mondo his hair looked nice down. Only he could run his fingers through Mondo's hair. He clenched his now abandoned fingers beneath the table, resting his shaking fist against his thigh. Asahina just laughed, her cheeks rosy with alcohol. She also tried to reach out to touch his hair, but Mondo leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. A tick of annoyance fled his lips, but he didn't say anything. He didn't react with yelling like he did against most people. He didn't spout any profanity or threaten to punch her. He just sat quiet, squirming in his chair while trying to find something else to look at. He didn't even look at Chihiro.

The boy's blood began to boil. What was she getting at? “I think you've had too much to drink. It may be dangerous for you to go swimming,” Chihiro offered with a sweet, but bitter sneer. He was biting his tongue from making a snide comment about her chest saving her life in case of drowning. He thought it was a witty comeback, but couldn't force his lips to say it. Plus, he didn't want to insult Asahina in the process. So he thought of the next best thing. “Besides, last time you woke up under the bleachers...”

“We're going swimming! Get your suits on! Come on!” Junko exclaimed, shoving her hand towards Chihiro's face. Whipping around on her heel, she grabbed Asahina by the hand and the two began to zip towards the door. No! Chihiro jolted up his chair, grabbing the attention of his partner. He watched their fellow classmates begin to assemble towards the doors as well. Most of them just seemed curious where Junko and Asahina were dashing off to in a hurry, but this was horrible. If they all made it to that pool, it was going to be impossible to bring them back to tell them.

Chihiro jolted upward, his chair sliding from behind him and crashing heavy against the ground. The sound echoed throughout the cafeteria and a few of the students stopped, glancing back at him now. “Chi...” Mondo murmured, a hint of fear gathered in his throat.

“Everyone...” Chihiro mumbled at first, raising his hand with hesitance as if he were in class.

“Chi...” Mondo warned again. He leaned forward in his chair, bracing himself for the words that were about to erupt from his boy's mouth.

“Excuse me! Everyone!” the smaller of the two then shouted as he noticed a few of them slipping out of the cafeteria door. Naegi stopped, tugging Sayaka by her sleeve for her to come to a halt. Leon ducked back into the cafeteria, startled by the rise in Chihiro's voice. Little by little, just his simple yell drew in the collective attention of their classmates. Junko wandered back inside, pushing herself to the front of the crowd with a look of cocky amusement slapped on her face.

Taking in a few hard breaths, Mondo warned one final time, “Chihiro...”

But the boy ignored it, having waited too long and keeping this secret buried down his whole life. He wanted them to know. They were his friends, after all. How long could he continue lying? “I hope that... everyone's having a great time,” he began, hesitating to glance back at his partner. If he saw even an inch of pain in Mondo's face, he would give up. Deep down, he knew it was best for the both of them and Mondo had promised he wouldn't run. Chihiro, exhausted from preparing to tell everyone, couldn't start back at page one. He wanted to go back to his father with a clear head so he could tell him everything and feel proud of who he was and the person he chose to be with. “And I know we're... all about to leave for holiday. Some of us will stay, but we're not all going to be together for the next couple of weeks... So there's something I want to tell everyone.”

The group stepped in closer, a few of them gathered right before the cafeteria table. Chihiro could hear Mondo shift in his chair behind him, but didn't notice him running off. That was good. He wasn't fleeing just yet. “Over the past couple of years, we have gotten to know each other well,” the boy began, folding his shaking hands over his heart. It was beating like crazy, threatening to jump out of his rib cage. And his fingers were trembling. The closer his fellow students got, the more light headed he felt. And he hadn't even drank like the rest of them. Staring at their faces, some of them with a rosy glow from their inebriation, he reminded himself that this was the best time. It had to happen now or it would be months down the line before he could ever gather the courage to say it again. “But...”

Chihiro hesitated, watching Junko narrow her eyes with that knowing smile. She cocked her head back as she if she knew exactly what he was about to say. After all, she knew Mondo well enough to realize the reason he dumped her was because he had feelings for Chihiro. Or that was what Chihiro gathered from it. How often did they still talk? Did Mondo still confide in her? Would he tell her, of all people, such a dark secret about not only Chihiro, but himself. He took in a strong breath and let his hands drop to his side. “I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you all.”

There was another squeak from Mondo's chair and for a second, he caught himself glancing backwards. But before he could even look his boyfriend in the eyes, he turned towards the group. Mondo wasn't running. He was keeping to his promise, at least for now. “When I was... little...” he began, his chest beginning to tighten. The words were flooding through his head. Although he had been trying to enjoy himself, he spent most of the evening rehearsing exactly how he would tell everyone. So far so good. "A lot of people bullied me because I wasn't strong.” He could never run fast. He would never dare bring a fist to anyone's face. And he didn't have the guts to spout off his anger. So he got bullied. “So I did the only thing I could think to do. I hid...”

Another thick breath from behind him. He could feel Mondo growing uncomfortable in his chair. They couldn't hide forever. “I figured hiding who I was is much better than getting picked on by people I wanted to call friends. And a lot of you might get mad at me. And I can understand if you never want to talk to me again, but I have to tell you guys. Because it's not fair to lie to your friends.” And then it happened. The words just kept coming like they did in the laundry room the time he spouted his heart off to Mondo. He couldn't stop. Everything he had been storing up inside since he was a child. “I just want you all to accept me for who I am and know what I've been hiding so I can stop sitting here everyday, thinking that you're judging me. Or judging me as someone I'm not. I just need you all to know...”

His chest tightened. His voice caught in his throat. His entire body grew warm and he thought he may collapse. But he couldn't stop now. Even if he wanted to run away, he had spoken too much and his classmates would pester him until he spoke the truth. He had to say it now. And even though he knew that after he let the truth leave his lips that his heart would feel lighter, it would still hurt for a few days. “I... am...” he huffed, lowing his head. His attention darted towards the floor at the glossy surface of his flats. Things began to go out of focus and he thought for a second that he may pass out. Placing a hand on the table before him, he mustered every last bit of strength in his body and admitted with his tiny voice, “I'm not a girl.”

There was silence. A few students shifted in their place. Chihiro shut his eyes, terrified to look at them. Were any of them smiling? Were most of them disgusted? Did they even hear him? “I started... dressing like a girl because... I thought it would cover up my weakness,” he then continued, his other hand grasped around the collar of his blouse. “But now I look around at you strong girls and realized... how horrible of an assumption I've had.”

Chihiro finally perked his attention from the floor, gazing over the gathering of students. Junko remained at the front of the pack, that confident smile perched on her face. Everyone else held a look of shock, some with confusion, but no one looked offended. Maybe this was going to be easier than he thought. Of course, he hadn't looked at Mondo yet. “I can't go the rest of our school lives lying to you... and I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. But please understand that it's been difficult living like this. But I just want to... be honest.”

The screech of wood against tile erupted throughout the cafeteria from behind him. He whipped his head towards his partner, who was now standing with his head hung low between his shoulders. This wasn't good. He didn't seem happy, but he also wasn't lashing out in front of the crowd. He was solemn, which was never a good state for Mondo. “Hey,” Chihiro offered as the weight lifted from his heart. They all knew and no one was freaking out. But now there was Mondo's situation to address. In telling them that he was a boy, then that meant Mondo... Reaching out, he grabbed his lover's hand for protection and intended to stand beside him. But before he could even take a step backwards, Mondo jerked his grip away. His fist rested at his side, clenched and shaking. Oh no. He was going to back down. “Mondo, please...”

Mondo said nothing, storming away from the table. He shoved through a couple of their classmates, stopping a direct pathway towards the door. Things weren't supposed to happen this way. “Mondo, wait!” Chihiro yelped, clamoring from behind the table and almost stumbling in the process. But before he could make it past his fellow students, a particular blonde stood in his path.

“Did you not tell him?” Junko scoffed and the other students attention fled to the boy.

Chihiro was too shaken to respond. The backlash of the model's words zoomed in on him and he felt the eyes of every classmate focus in his direction. Of course he told Mondo. Maybe not immediately, but he told him. Mondo knew the entire time. “I...” he breathed, his chest beginning to shrink. He felt his pulse quicken and it felt as though someone had cut off the air conditioning. “Just tell them,” he thought to himself, his hazel eyes darting to everyone. His face wrapped in confusion, Ishimaru began to inch towards the door, more than likely wanting to aid his biker friend. “Be honest. Tell them Mondo knew.” But he couldn't say it, because then that would make Mondo look bad.

So instead of telling them the truth about the relationship, he also pushed himself for the exit of the cafeteria. He was intent on finding his boyfriend to make it all right again. Who knows where Mondo had even ran off to, but Chihiro hoped that he was in his room. A few of the classmates called out his name, but his little feet ran so fast that they were bounds away from him now. Standing in front of the second room on the left in the dorm hallway was Ishimaru, his finger rapid against the call button on the door. He called out to Mondo, even slamming his fist against the door, but there was no answer. Chihiro's paced slowed and he approached the boy, swallowing hard with his fists balled against his chest. “Fujisaki-san...” Ishimaru breathed, his face flushed red with embarrassment of the discovery. He looked as though he wished to say more, his eyes hurt, but more concerned than anything. Mondo was a dear friend of his, as was Chihiro, so more than likely, he just wanted to make things right.

Stepping out of the way, he bowed his head, knowing that Chihiro wanted to speak with his boyfriend. And he was right. Chihiro was furious. Upset, angry, and ready for this nightmare to end. Mondo promised he wouldn't back down, and he ran the second he got an opportunity. The young boy smacked his hand against the call button beside the door. “Mondo!” he yelled into it, his eyes already bubbling over with warm tears. His voice began to scratch as he just continued to call his name over and over. He hoped that somewhere in there, his boyfriend would hear how desperate he was. “Please open the door! I just want to talk to you!” His voice grew higher and frantic, his fingers clawing at the call button. Certainly the noise buzzing out in his dorm would be enough to irritate Mondo into opening the door. “Please!!”

The patter of footsteps resonated throughout the hallway as the horde of students gathered around him. He felt his heartbeat quicken, sure he was going to have a heart attack right here. He knew there would be some repercussions, but he never imagined it would be from his boyfriend backing out. Chihiro would never out Mondo without his consent. That was why he was extra cautious when Mondo told him just hours ago that he was finally ready. He should have went with his gut instinct and just denied his boyfriend right then. He was right in assuming that Mondo wasn't ready. But there was no taking it back now. They all knew. It was either rat Mondo out and let everyone knew that he knew Chihiro was a boy from the beginning of their relationship. Or pretend that he was in the wrong and lied to Mondo. “Open the door!” the programmer yelled, now beating his fist against it.

The tears burned his eyes and his cheeks tingled from the warmth of crying. This was not how he wanted the holiday break to happen. He wanted to head home and tell wonderful things to his father. Not spend his entire holiday angry. And that's when he realized that he was more enraged about all this instead of upset. Things like this would leave him heartbroken and he would throw himself into a pit of despair and worthless tears. But this time, it was all anger. Anger that Mondo had backed out on him. Anger that Junko had to stick her nose in it. He hoped no one was thinking Chihiro didn't tell Mondo before she opened her big mouth. “He won't open the door,” Chihiro heard the conniving blonde behind him utter. And without even looking at her, he knew that she had a self absorbed grin smacked across her face. 

Why did she have to butt in? “I can't believe you wouldn't say something to him,” she murmured, a softness to her voice. It may have been soft, but Chihiro could hear straight through it. She was just trying to deceive the rest of their classmates. The tightness in Chihiro's chest caused him to let out a shaken exhale and he tapped the button beside the door once more. Who were they hurting by being together? “Your boyfriend, of all people, should know first.”

“Junko,” Sayaka muttered, noticing the programmer's body shaking. He faced away from the other students. He wasn't even scared to look at them any longer. He was afraid of what he may do to Junko if he were to turn around. Rubbing his sleeve against his cheek, he soaked up just a small patch of the tears dripping from his skin. Embarrassed, patches of red spreading over his cheeks like wildfire. It burned, his skin itched. He just wanted Junko to shut up because she didn't have a single understanding of their situation. How could she? She was never criticized for anything in her life, aside from her rude mouth. But even then, she didn't care.

Unable to head the songbirds warning, Junko continued. “Were you going to hide it from him for the whole relationship?”

“Junko, that is enough,” Sakura's strong voice bellowed. Chihiro shrunk down, reminded of his mistake for assuming he could hide his weakness behind being a girl. He was still being weak, standing among them all, unable to defend himself. He was just letting Junko trash talk him in front of everyone. It wasn't her business if he wanted to tell Mondo or not. If he wanted to keep it a secret, that was his decision. Wrong or not... it was his decision.

“Enough? You're okay with this little brat lying to us like that? And really, I don't care if he lied to me,” Junko retorted, her voice loud throughout the hallway. Chihiro stopped pressing the button, knowing Mondo wouldn't be coming out anytime soon. Not if he knew everyone was on the other side. “He lied to Mondo. They've been together for like... half a year now!” It wasn't any of her business. Their relationship was none of their business. She knew nothing about them. What they had discovered about one another. The connection they had formed. The promises they made to help one another grow stronger during their time together. And now all her ranting was going to ruin everything.

“What were you going to do after you got out of high school? What if he wanted to get married? Have kids?” Some of the students shuffled and Chihiro cocked his attention over his shoulder, seeing the look of worry on many of their faces. Some of them seemed troubled by Junko's words, and he couldn't tell if they were preparing to side with her or Chihiro. All he knew was that if she didn't quiet soon, he would do something he would regret. His fist beat against the door before he let his fist slide along the shiny surface. Mondo wasn't coming out. It was hopeless at this point. All that he could do now was face his fellow students and make up more lies to protect him. Because Mondo wasn't going to come out to the class himself.

Junko was already giving out enough to fuel the lies. Did she care about Mondo that much? “It's selfish. And I understand you want to keep your secret, but if you cared about him, you would have told him.” That was it. She had made one horrible assumption. Yes, he covered up his secret for years because he didn't find himself strong enough to let them know. And yes, at first, he didn't tell Mondo the truth. But it was because he cared about him that he blurted out the truth. He could have just as easily told Mondo he wasn't comfortable with him being in his room that night. He could have asked him to leave because he wasn't interested in him. But it was because he liked Mondo and because he cared for him that he instead told him he was a boy. It made matters more difficult, but worked out in the end. “I would be pretty upset, too, if I found out that-”

And then it happened. The anger took over. Chihiro found himself doing something he could never see himself doing to another person in all his lifetime. He pushed away from the door and puffed out his chest. Chihiro came face to face with the vile woman spouting lies about something she would never understand. He could feel his hand trembling at his side and in a blind rage much like Mondo's, he drew it back and smacked her clear across the cheek. The sound reverberated throughout the hallway. Some of the students gasped, surprised that such a small person was capable of such a hard hit. His palm ached and before he could run away himself, another classmate swept him back. “You bitch!” Junko yelped, her hand pressed against her already reddening cheek. She lunged out, intent on getting her hand around Chihiro's neck. But Sakura intervened, keeping the two apart.

Chihiro immediately felt guilty. He had never hit anyone or anything in his entire life. Had he had the bravery to fight anyone, he could have hit those bullies as a child and this wouldn't even be happening now. The tingle in his palm reminded him that for the first time in a long while, he had let his temper fly. And it wasn't on a pillow, or a stuffed animal. It was on a person. Someone who deserved it, but this wasn't like Chihiro. Squirming out of Ishimaru's grasp, his feet hit the floor and he ran. He ran faster than he did from the cafeteria. He wasn't sure where he was going to hide because now he was fleeing away from his room. Just somewhere to stay away from Junko. To stay away from his classmates. To go back into hiding, like he had his entire life. Because even though it wasn't a comfortable place to be, hiding always felt safer. He should have known better than to tell all his classmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a long while since I have updated this one, and I think it's because I've had trouble writing this chapter. But now that such a pivotal moment has happened, maybe the rest of it will be easier to write. I have it all planned out, but putting it in words is difficult. Alright, hope you enjoyed. :D


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I think it took less time to write than the others, too. Just trying to get some stuff done while I've been feeling a bit under the weather. I have a busy month coming up, but I promise not to let at least this fic fall to the way side! Thanks, everyone, for keeping up with it and I appreciate the comments and stuff. :D

Chihiro ran for what seemed like forever, up all the flights of stairs to the top floor. Winded, his heart ready to burst from his chest but he just kept running. He wasn't sure if anyone had followed him, but if they did, they would have caught up with him by now. He wasn't the fastest runner. In fact, he hated it, but when his heart was crumbling to pieces, he ignored the burning in his legs and focused on the hole in his heart. Bursting into the greenhouse, he scurried towards the small shack, trapping himself inside.

The second he was behind the closed door, he collapsed to the ground, heaving and sobbing into his palms. His chest ached from lack of breath and his heart thudded heavy against his chest. He thought he was going to die, from embarrassment and anger. How could Mondo just leave him like this? The man had promised this wouldn't happen. Meant to be a happy time for the both of them. And Chihiro had a feeling that had Mondo not disappeared, they would be down in that pool together having the time of their life. And for the first time in years, Chihiro would be swimming comfortable among his peers. His body trembled and when he no longer felt well enough to sit up, he sunk to the floor, pulling his knees up into a fetal position. The day had started out so well. He was sharing kisses in the kitchen with his boyfriend, prepared to have a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. They had even gone back to his room for a quiet celebration with more intimate kisses. And now this. Now here he was, lying on the ground of a dirty shed, crying his heart out to the floor.

And even worse, storming through the academy was a vehement Junko looking for his neck to strangle. Chihiro had never gotten violent in his life. Even when throwing temper tantrums in his room, he only ever expressed his anger by throwing a stuffed animal against the wall. Or beating up his bed. He didn't like violence. He swore he would never hit another person, even if she deserved it. But it was blind rage. Something he had picked up from Mondo. Before he even realized what he was doing, the bright red mark of his fingerprints laid across her face. He just wanted to fall asleep and catch that bus to his father's tomorrow. Even if he didn't have anything pleasant to tell his dad now that his plans had crashed, at least he would be away from the academy. Away from the ridicule of everyone thinking he had lied to Mondo. Away from Junko's evil, cruel words. And away from his boyfriend, who couldn't stand by his side like he promised. Chihiro clutched his hands over his aching stomach, the sobs robbing his body of any last strength he had. He wanted to pass out. Right here. Wake up and run away.

The door to the shed creaked and for a moment, he looked up in terror, afraid that it was perhaps Junko sneaking into that doorway. If she found him, she wouldn't hesitate to kill him. But to his relief, it was Asahina, her face still blushing with alcohol. Sakura, of course, followed close behind her. “Chihiro, honey,” Asahina cooed, dropping to her knees the second she was inside the shed. She crawled towards the crushed boy, running her hand along his trembling shoulder. Sakura shut the door behind the both of them, standing guard in case anyone else felt like bursting in. “Everything's going to be alright...” The girl brushed the saw dust that was coating her thigh, allowing the boy to lay his head along her leg. Her body was warm and he appreciated the gesture. He was wrong in assuming everyone would shy away from him once they knew. Some of the girls might take offense knowing they shared a locker room with a boy, but he should have known better of Asahina. She was always sweet. “It's all going to be okay...”

No, it wasn't. He wanted to yell, not at her, but just in general. Scream out in hopes of getting all his frustration out. But anytime he opened his mouth, it was just another eruption of thick wails. It was becoming hard to breath, his chest heaving between every whimper and cry. Even with her fingers so gingerly raking through his hair, he couldn't calm down. How could he let himself get involved in something like this? He loved Mondo so much that his boyfriend leaving after their important announcement tore a void in his heart. This was why being in a relationship terrified him growing up. He was a lot to handle. Not in attitude, but because of all the baggage he carried with him. It wasn't that he was too shy to kiss, or too scared to fall in love. It was that with dating, he had to open a box of secrets he kept closed for so long. To everyone. The only people who knew before Mondo were his parents and the headmaster. Everyone else just went on believing he was a girl because that was how he liked it. He felt safe that way. And the second he lets his guard down to trust someone... it's ripped from him. He wanted to just disappear.

“We appreciate your honesty, Fujisaki-san. But perhaps Oowada-san should have been the first you told,” Sakura hummed, her voice soothing. Chihiro couldn't help but wince at her words. She was wrong. She was mislead. He had told Mondo, but now thanks to Junko's nasty mouth, the entire class thought different. They thought he was the bad guy in this situation. Not that either him nor Mondo were bad guys, but it was Mondo who was in the wrong here. He ran off. Chihiro trusted him.

There was a heavy knock against the door, but before Sakura could even react, it jerked open. Junko peeked her head inside, her eyebrows burrowed and a pink welt across her cheek. She looked furious, ready to kill the next person in her path. “Let me in,” she grunted, but the warrior woman blocked her way with just her foot against the door. “Let me in. I'm not going to kill him, alright. Just want to talk.” Her words seemed safe, but the manner in which she spouted them was deceiving. Chihiro trembled, sure tonight would be his last. “Seriously, just fuckin' let me in.”

Asahina narrowed her eyes in defense, her hand still coursing a soothing path along Chihiro's arm. Junko sighed and slammed the door when she realized she was too big to squeeze through the small gap. The boy didn't want her in. Anything she had to say wasn't going to make matters better. What did she know? Not the truth, since she spouted all those horrible assumptions in the hallway. Perhaps she had spoken with Mondo. Chihiro hoped not. “Do you want to talk with her?” Sakura asked with kindness, her body firm against the door. Even if Junko used her full strength to pummel her body into the door, it wouldn't budge. Sakura's brick wall of a body was so strong. The complete opposite of anything Chihiro saw himself being. He could never have muscles like her, even if he trained forever. And to keep her composure the way she did in such dangerous situations was admirable. He wanted to be like her. But now he felt like he could never be strong enough.

And he definitely didn't want to talk to Junko, not without bodyguards and at least a twenty foot distance. But in this little shed, there would be no room for that. His stomach began to spasm from crying and he felt like vomiting all over the floor. He just wanted to hop on that bus to his father's and take refuge there for the holidays. He didn't care if he spoke to Mondo or not right now. It was clear that his boyfriend was never going to keep his promises. He could flip flop all he wanted between his decisions. Chihiro was sick of playing games. Being in a relationship meant backing up the person he is with. Not go running off with his tail between his legs. But of course... no one thought anything wrong of Mondo for running away. Thanks to Junko's lies, it seemed like a completely valid response.

Forcing himself from the Asahina's thigh, his shaking arms straightened and he took in a heavy sob. His chest burned. His head was light and the room around him was dark. All the sudden, he was seeing red. Maybe from crying so hard, but also because of the anger bubbling inside of him. Maybe he did want to talk to Junko. He didn't have the gall to slap her again, but maybe yell at her. Tell her she was wrong. But if he told Junko she was wrong... then that would mean the whole class would learn that Mondo knew of Chihiro's secret the entire time. It wasn't his place to out his boyfriend to the group. But he felt betrayed. “I'll talk to her,” he whimpered, his broken voice cracking from his lips.

“As you wish,” Sakura stated, bowing her head before signaling for Asahina to stand up. The swimmer, reluctant, stumbled to her feet with a heavy frown, staring down at Chihiro. She looked at him like he was an abandoned puppy, but did as her friend requested. “We will be outside if you need us.” And with that, the woman opened the door, allowing the enraged blonde to shove her way in.

“No you won't be outside. I want you as far away from this shed as possible,” Junko warned. She thrust her outstretched finger towards the exit of the greenhouse. “I'm not going to hurt the brat, alright. I want privacy.” Chihiro stared at the beautiful girl, seeing the mark his fingerprints left against her skin. Even underneath a coating of foundation, he could see the red welts across her cheek. He didn't realize he had smacked her that hard. She deserved it, but he still felt like an awful person. Sakura and Asahina disappeared from the shed, closing the door behind them. Once alone with the girl he just attacked, Chihiro trembled. He no longer felt safe.

There was a long stretch of silence between the two, Junko refusing to look down at the boy. She just crossed her arms beneath her chest, staring at the wall instead. There was an agitated look pulling at her eyebrows as she puffed air into the cheek that wasn't damaged. “Listen,” she finally huffed, coming to a hard seat against the ground. Chihiro lowered his gaze to the floor now that they were at eye level with one another. “I know you're probably pissed off and upset. And you're wanting to cry yourself to sleep tonight, but I tried to warn you. I told you Mondo wasn't any good for you.”

Wait, what? She was the one making Chihiro out to be in the wrong here. Not Mondo. The way she was ranting and raving in the hallway, the biker was completely blindsided and innocent. He had done nothing wrong but think he was in a committed relationship with a girl. What was she even talking about? It was almost as if she knew much more. But Chihiro had to remind himself that everyone believed Mondo never knew. So, in a reluctant tone, he choked, “But I lied to him...”

“No you didn't. I know you didn't.” Her words were sharp, littered with subtle concern. Chihiro pushed himself completely upright now, folding his hands between his knees. His body was still trembling, the prickles gathered around his eyes. He had cried so hard that now they just itched. But he kept his shaking hands between his knees, afraid they may lash out at the model again. If Junko knew he hadn't lied then that meant... “Mondo told me the night after Ishimaru's birthday party that you were a boy... because he liked you so much, he wasn't sure what to do.”

Chihiro's heart stopped. She knew this entire time... and Mondo was the one to tell her? So he had lied about them speaking to one another. Of course he still spoke with Junko, and trusted her to keep quite a major secret. To Chihiro's surprise, she had kept it well. It wasn't until just this morning that she seemed so suspicious about knowing something she shouldn't. Mondo no doubt talked with her about announcing their secret, too. It made sense, though, why she would always involve herself in their relationship. Walk him down the hallway the day after they decided to hook up. Help the boy get ready on their first date. Persist on sticking her nose into ever second of their relationship. It was because Mondo let her. “If you knew, then why did you say those things in the hallway...?” He wanted to cry again. She was trying to protect him from Mondo, but she threw him under the bus on purpose. Now everyone knew his secret, and deep down, though he was a horrible partner to Mondo. “You knew that he knew!”

“Yeah, well...” Junko breathed, pulling her knees up towards her chest. “Just not doing my job here unless everyone's miserable.” She laughed from the corner of her lips, but it was a heavy laugh. She reached out and fiddled with the strap on her heels, a forced smile plastered across her lips. It faded and Chihiro felt the tension between them slip into something more like hopelessness. An emotional that he had only seen her convey in private. There was the time before in his bedroom when she was helping with his make up. When she first told him that they had been an item. It was like it pained her to speak those words. Like she really did care for Mondo somewhere deep down. “Plus, it's what he needs... for people to think he didn't know.”

It didn't matter how much Junko cared for him. If she truly was a good friend to him, she would act like it more in public. It wasn't like they would hurt anyone being friends. But the two of them chose to keep their friendship hidden, so she had no right to try to protect him. “That's not fair to me,” Chihiro declared, clutching the edge of his skirt between his fingertips.

“It's not, but he's never really been fair to you.” Junko laughed again, brushing her heavy bangs away from her face. She drew a circle with her finger against the floor, her tongue prodding the side of her cheek. “There's a lot about him... that you don't know. And that you won't know because he won't tell you.” She was right. There was still so much that he didn't know about Mondo that after six months, he felt like maybe he should know. But recently he had at least heard a little bit about his family. Only a little bit, though. “I mean, I had to tell you we dated before, right? He didn't tell you.”

“He did eventually...”

“Did you have to ask him? I bet he lied the first time you asked. Told you that he and I had never been together. Bet you he didn't tell you he smokes cigarettes when he's stressed, huh?” Chihiro's shoulders folded inward and he sucked in a harsh breath. His chin dropped and he avoided looking at her. She was lying just to rile him up. She was just spouting whatever came to mind to strike a nerve. “He used to smoke all the time... but when he started liking you, he quit because he didn't want to smell like smoke. But he does it every now and then still.” She said it again. When Mondo started liking him. Which was about the time when Junko and Mondo broke up. It wasn't that he couldn't see Mondo smoking, it was just that if it were a recurring habit, Chihiro wanted to know so he could stop him. So he could help him quit because he cared about his health. He cared about him so much. “And I know you think I'm just messing with you, but I'm serious. I'm showing you reasons why he is bad for you.”

“You don't need to give me reasons to hate him,” Chihiro hiccuped through a light sob. He didn't want to hear anymore bad words about his partner. Mondo had some horrible qualities, many of them which he was working on. But everyone had bad traits. Junko was a pretty disgusting person, prying into matters that didn't concern her all the time. Her intentions always seemed to aim for the worst, even under the guise of looking out for someone. But she was smart, which helped in her deceptive ways, and beautiful. And despite her obnoxious attitude and devious demeanor, she was well liked by most people at the school. Chihiro wasn't sure if it was because of her model status, or if everyone was putting up with her. But everyone was pleasant to her for the most part. She has her pros, but she had so many faults as well.

“I never said you had to hate him... although I don't see why you don't.” Her words were harsh and Chihiro winced as they left her mouth. She was so cruel. No one asked for this. “I am just explaining why he is bad for you. I am helping you.”

Helping? She had only made matters worse. Yes, things had gone awry because Mondo had abandoned him, but Junko didn't need to speak. She didn't need to add on lies. She didn't have anything to do with this! She never did, but she made it a point to make sure she did. “If you wanted to help, you could have kept quiet and let us handle this on our own.” Chihiro breathed with a trembling lip, his hand pressed against the heart of his blouse. His fingers still stung from the contact of her cheek, but he kept them clenched around the soft fabric to avoid hitting her again. “You knew... all along about me. And you kept it quiet.” She deserved it. “And you should have kept quiet.” She deserved the slap about seventeen times more, but he didn't want to be the one to do it. He didn't want lose his temper for her ever again because it was just what she wanted. He could feel his nerve slipping, his fingers wrapped tight in the lace edge of his skirt. They shook, ready to be free to fly at her face. Those feelings. Those horrible feelings. Unhappiness. Hatred. Guilt. These were things he never wanted to give her the enjoyment of experiencing. “Please don't speak to me or Mondo until we have this all figured out...”

“I'll stop talking to him when he stops texting me,” Junko spat, yanking her phone from a hidden place within her dress. She stared at the lit up screen with something like a grin as she sped through the barrage of her recent messages. Chihiro chose to look away. He didn't want to know. “I swear, that's all he does and I'm so tired of-”

“Stop.” Chihiro's voice shook. This night had to end soon because his heart couldn't take it any longer. “Just stop. Please. You've done your damage...” He stumbled to his feet, having to brace himself on a nearby shelf full of various tools. His knees and the whole side of his dress where coated in saw dust, but he left it there, just staring down at his dirty shoes. He couldn't make eye contact with her, afraid to find that cocky smile plastered across her face. For all he knew, she was lying about how often Mondo texted her. Although it seemed to be often enough that she knew of not only his secret, but when he was going to announce it to the crowd. She had taken what was a pivotal moment in his life and turned it even more against him than he imagined. As if Mondo running away wasn't enough to end it, she was now trying to burrow despair filled thoughts deep into his heart. Some attempt to drive him further away from his boyfriend. Well, he wasn't going to have it. If Mondo were such a horrible person, it would be his own decision to leave him. Not from her words which could or could not be true.

“Damage? I'm doing you a favor,” the model snapped back, immediately leaping to her feet in a fit of rage. “Really? After everything he's done and you're still going to take his side?”

“I don't understand you,” Chihiro breathed with his hand pressed against the door. He wanted to smack her again. So hard that all her hateful words fled from her mouth. But again, that would be what she wanted. She wanted his reaction. She wanted his anger. Junko couldn't care less about their relationship working or not. She just wanted them to be miserable. And perhaps it was something Mondo had done to her long ago that she wasn't willing to let go. Whatever it was, Chihiro was more willing to hear it from his lips rather than hers. Considering how often she construed the explanation. “Mondo is not with you anymore. I'm sorry for whatever he did to you that makes you think you still control him. But stop. You're only making things worse...”

“You're saying that now.” The taller of the two sighed with her hands wrapped across her stomach. Her bright blue eyes fluttered towards the ceiling and she twirled the end of her long, blonde hair around her index finger. It made her look pretentious, as if speaking to the programmer was wasting her time. It was wasting everyone's time, really. If she wasn't doing good, then she needed to give up on the situation. But it looked more like she was keeping herself busy while coming up with a good comeback. Was Chihiro finally beating her at her own game? “Just wait until he's bored of you.”

She was just grabbing at straws now. “Goodnight, Junko,” Chihiro sighed. His chest was still tight, but at least the tears had stopped. Not to say they wouldn't come back the second he hit his bed for the night. He considered beating against Mondo's door again, but knew the man wasn't going to answer. And who knew what horrible things would spew from Chihiro's mouth in his state of abandonment and anger. It was better left discussed later when they had both calmed and the wave of surprise had washed over the other students. His heart felt so empty, though. He just wanted to get some sleep. He knew that wouldn't happen, though. Not without at least a word from his boyfriend.

However much longer Mondo may be his boyfriend.


	11. Chapter 11

Holiday break didn't flash by as quick as it had before. When Chihiro would visit his father, it seemed like time would just disappear and he would be right back on that bus home. But that week of freedom from school just dragged on. He had lost contact with most everyone. A few people would text him over the holiday, sending their best cheers and checking up on him. But they weren't the person he wanted to hear from. He spent every night of his small vacation crying himself to sleep. He hadn't uttered a word to Mondo since his boyfriend's ejection from the situation. Not because he refused to speak. But because Mondo wouldn't answer the phone. He wouldn't respond to text messages, and according to the rest of the crew, he never returned to the academy.

Chihiro never got a chance to tell his father of his new boyfriend. But it was because he feared that he may not have one once he returned to the academy. Someone who made him so happy still remained a secret from his father. After finally letting his biggest secret free, he was only forced to hide another. It hurt so bad not to be able to tell his father of a huge source of his joy. But knowing it might not be there when he got back... was embarrassing. So he pretended like nothing had changed. Like he didn't spill his guts to all his classmates. Like he wasn't up in some handsome man for the past six months. Like he hadn't finally found someone he wanted to pour all his time and trust into.

It had been a few days back at the academy and everyone had settled back into class. Everyone except Mondo. Four days in, and he hadn't shown up. The professors hadn't spoken a word about him, and no one knew where he had disappeared off to. Chihiro sat in his chair, staring down at a blank sheet of paper. A feeling of anxiety sat in his stomach. He hadn't brought his laptop in days. He wasn't even sure what the lesson was on. He didn't take notes. And he didn't speak. He just trudged to class, sat heavy in his chair, and then shuffled back to his room to mope. And worry. And panic. And it wasn't over his secret anymore. The surprise between the students had died down and everyone was adjusting. It was like nothing had changed. They all still treated him the same. Some of them were a little more cautious when speaking to him, but that was when mentioning his boyfriend. But besides that, they treated him the same as before. The exact reaction he was hoping for. He should have known better of his friends.

He wished Mondo was here to see it, because he was sure they would treat the biker with the same respect.

The teacher swept by with a handful of papers, passing out a quiz they took upon the first day back. Quizzes were easy for Chihiro without even studying, but he couldn't focus on the questions. So he just scattered down whatever lame answer he could muster up. He was sure he wasn't even answering with the correct subject matter. The teacher slid his paper face down against the desk and shuffled to the next student a couple desks behind him. The one behind him was empty. Mondo had resided there since they began dating, so of course it was vacant now. No quiz for him. With a low sigh, Chihiro flipped the paper over. Not a single question correct. He stared at the red markings scribbled over his own responses, but it didn't register. It didn't matter.

The bell sounded for the day and everyone shuffled out of their seats. Asahina made some sort of announcement about what they would be enjoying for dinner this evening. If he even ate, Chihiro grabbed food and went back to his room. Sayaka offered to help cook tonight. Junko's irritating voice sounded among the rest of the students. She hadn't spoken a single word to him since their argument within the shed. The boy wondered if Mondo had been contacting her. If he did, she would be rubbing it in his face right now. Judging how no one had uttered a single word about his whereabouts, it was safe to assume he hadn't revealed his location to her either. As pleased as Chihiro was with the idea of them no longer having contact, even he would be happy to know if Junko knew Mondo was safe.

Another few chattered about dinner as well, and soon, everyone had left the classroom. Except for Ishimaru, who seemed to be lingering much longer in his seat than usual. More than likely, he received a perfect score on his quiz. If he hadn't, there would be violent tears right now. Instead, he was solemn and quiet as he stood from his desk. Chihiro stared down at his own desk, absent in collecting his things into his bag. Well, what little he had unpacked onto his desk. A pencil and a piece of paper. That he still left blank. He crammed the test into his backpack. One failed quiz score wouldn't set him back too bad. It was a small quiz. Had he been in better mind, he would be freaking out right now. But it didn't matter.

“Fujisaki-san,” Ishimaru's low, stern voice muttered from beside him. Chihiro's frail body jerked from surprise that Ishimaru was by his side all the sudden, but he didn't look up. Staring down at the blank desk top seemed like a better idea. “I know things have been hard for you recently,” he continued as the programmer studied the lines along the glossy surface. “If there is anything I can do to help... please do tell me.” And that was all. The prefect gathered himself in a slight sniffle. He would cry if any little thing was out of place in this school, especially if it was the heart of another companion. And without his dear “brother” by his side, things had also been difficult for Ishimaru. Not as bad as what Chihiro was experiencing, but still hard.

And that was usually what the others offered. The air at the academy was different. Unsettling. Because no one knew about Mondo's condition. Where could he have gone? As far as everyone knew, he could have been lying in the street dead. After all, he did take off while still intoxicated. It had been a school wide agreement that they were not allowed to leave the academy during a party. No one had ever tried, so it wasn't surprising if the higher ups didn't watch them. So Mondo escaped. Most likely on his motorcycle, too, as it was no longer parked outside the school grounds. Chihiro's breath caught in his throat. He had feared that exact outcome about a thousand times since Mondo's dispatch from the academy. That he had chased his boyfriend to his death. If that were the case, the school would have said something.

With a heavy breath, he forced himself from his desk, immediately scattering from the room. He had to shove past Ishimaru, who hadn't quite made it out the doorway yet. Running away had been common. No one chased him anymore. He just needed to get to his room because eating tonight wasn't an option. Reminding himself that Mondo could be in so much pain right now was enough to make his stomach churn. He raced down the hallway, his tiny hands wrapped tight around the strap of his back pack. Just one more day of class this week and he could lock himself within his room for the weekend. Try to call his boyfriend another hundred times in hopes of him returning the calls.

He pulled his phone from his pocket with a flutter of anxiety, but there was nothing. No text message, no call. Nothing.

Somewhere down the hallway, Naegi's voice rang out in hopes of Chihiro joining them for video games this evening. But the tiny boy shut himself in his room before his friend could finish his sentence. Maybe in a week or two he would be alright enough to face the other students. But for now, it was just denying all their friendly advances with a quiet whimper. He shut the door with his back, lingering there for a moment as he caught his unsteady breath in the palm of his hand. His chest heaved from running down the hallway. His heart hammered in his chest. Maybe he wouldn't be okay in the next few weeks. If Mondo never returned... he would never be alright.

Chihiro threw his bag onto the floor and dove into the safe confinement of his bed. Over the past few days, Mondo's scent had lingered on his blankets after their little spout of affection before the party. But it had finally dissipated completely this morning. So there was nothing left within reach that reminded him of Mondo. No one could get into his room as he left it locked when he took off. No one knew how to contact his family, although Chihiro doubted he went crawling back to his mother. From what he gathered, Mondo felt his family disowned him after the death of his brother. But where else would he go? With his gang?

He wrapped the blankets tight around his body, knowing he had mounds of homework to catch up on. He had refused to do it over the past few days. Ishimaru had been kind enough to offer him daily help with even the simplest of homework. Like everyone else, he understood what a rough time Chihiro was experiencing. But like all help offered, Chihiro turned it down with a quiet murmur and footsteps dashing down the hallway. He used to be much stronger than this. He felt like he was a child running away from all his problems again. But it hurt so bad. Mondo taking off like that when they meant to be open and honest with the group. Junko spreading the lie that his boyfriend never knew the entire time. So anytime anyone looked him in the eye and offered their help, he knew in the backs of them minds that they were blaming him. Judging him. Judging him for deceiving Mondo like that. Even though his friends had been supportive of the initial news, his heart couldn't trust that they were sincere. Because although Chihiro was honest to them, it seemed he wasn't honest to everyone.

Chihiro just wanted to see his boyfriend again. Know that he was alright.

There was a sharp knock at his door just as he cuddled his face into the pillow. It wasn't the same, repetitious pattern that Ishimaru usually laid against his door. It was more affirming. But he didn't want to answer it. After about half a moment, the knock sounded again. And then the buzzer. “Fujisaki-san,” came a light voice through the intercom. Chihiro lifted his head. He was in trouble now. This wasn't a voice that spoke to him often. It was the headmaster. The boy sprung from his bed and flattened down the front of his uniform skirt. He rubbed at his eyes, hoping he didn't look as tired as he felt. And for the first time in weeks, he pressed on a mask. A forced smile, or at least a timid one. Maybe the teacher informed Mr. Kirigiri of his failing performance.

With an apprehensive tug, Chihiro jerked open the door and straightened his back at the presence of his headmaster. He was tall and handsome, and although he had a lot on his plate when it came to dealing with this academy, he never showed any signs of wear. He had eyes that resembled his daughter's. Calm, but also stern. Swallowing, the boy stepped out into the hallway. He was hesitant to open his door any further to show his principal the mess that his room had become. “Yes, sir?” he murmured, folding his hands before his waist.

“You have a phone call,” the man stated with his hands pressed at his sides. Chihiro took in a short breath, his fingers tightening into balled fists. A phone call? He never received those from the main office. Any who called him often contacted him on his cell phone. The thought that it could be a hospital calling terrified him. “If you don't mind coming to my office, you can take the call from there.”

“Thank you, sir.” His words trembled like his hands clenched before him. Four days into the school week and he was receiving what sounded like a serious phone call. Before he realized, he was following his headmaster down the hallway towards the steps. A few of the students who gathered in the hallway watched in silence, unsure of the situation. From what it looked like, Chihiro was in trouble or was on the path to receiving some horrible news. But he didn't look up, focusing on his uneasy steps as his flats clicked against the hard floor.

Perhaps it was Mondo on the other end of that phone. But he would call on the cell phone. Maybe it was the hospital calling to say Mondo had suffered a terrible injury walking the streets. He left intoxicated, after all. Maybe it was the police calling to say that his boyfriend ended up in jail over driving drunk. His heart thumped heavy against his chest with each step up the stairs. It was a long journey to the headmaster's office which just seemed to lag on as more and more terrible thoughts gathered in his head. Who could it be? The further up the stairs he went, the more his eyes burned to hold back terrified tears. He didn't want to cry in front of the headmaster, but he was so scared. He didn't even think to ask who it was, but he would know soon enough.

The two came to the door of the headmaster's office and Mr. Kirigiri lead in the small student. The room was well lit and neat, two plush leather couches on either side of a coffee table in the center of the room. There were many plaques and frames along the wall. Chihiro had been in here once before when he was first accepted. Then he was along side his father as they discussed classes and the expectations of the students at Hope's Peak. The last time he had entered this room, he was just as nervous, but at least smiling. Chihiro assumed that the person on the other side of that phone gave him no reason to smile. “There's the phone. I'll step out to give you privacy,” he offered, extending his hand towards the phone perched on the desk.

Chihiro approached it, anxiety bubbling in his stomach. He glanced over his shoulder as his principal excused himself from the room. The door clicked closed and Chihiro considered throwing the phone back on the hook. He didn't want to hear any painful news from the person on the other end. He knew this had something to do with Mondo. And considering the headmaster treated it with such importance, nothing good was going to come. But he picked up the phone with a heavy weight of reluctance and pressed it to his head. “Hello...” he chirped, standing tall before the desk.

“Is this Fujisaki-san?” said an unfamiliar woman's voice. It was harsh and deep, and in just those few syllabus, Chihiro knew he had reason to fear.

“Yes, ma'm,” he shuddered, using both hands to keep the phone against his ear.

“Fujisaki-san, it is a pleasure to finally speak with you.” Her voice was so sharp and she sounded like she was on the verge of chastising his existence. Like he had done something wrong and she would ground him for it. Grounded, or murdered. His body stiffened. “My son has told me plenty about you.” Her son? The color fled from his skin and his eyes widened. Mondo's... mother. “I'm sure you're worried about him. And he has wanted to talk to you, but hasn't been able to.”

His body wavered a bit, leaning against the headmasters desk. Mondo's mother? His mother was calling him? Meaning that his boyfriend must be in some trouble to contact his family. And what did she mean he hasn't been able to? Was he hurt that bad? Was he too scared? Chihiro searched for words, his mouth blubbering open and closed like a fish struggling for oxygen. But nothing came out. He didn't want to sound stupid. He felt like bursting into tears at the mention of his boyfriend, though. After all, this was Mondo's mother. Someone that his boyfriend made it clear that he either feared or had little to no contact with anymore. “Are you there, boy?” his mother questioned with a whip in her words causing Chihiro to snap upright even though no one could see him.

“Yes, ma'm,” he repeated, those being the only words he could muster. He wanted to ask questions about his boyfriend's condition. But he felt that speaking without her permission would be out of line. He had never met her, and this was their first time speaking. He could tell in her voice that Mondo got smacked around a couple times as a child if he ever dared to back talk her. “I'm sorry... I'm listening...”

“Good. My son just got out of jail.” The abruptness of her comment sent a shock into Chihiro's heart. There was one suspicion down. And from the sound of his mother's words, it was Chihiro's fault. How was he supposed to know his boyfriend was going to storm out of the academy drunk? He kept his composure. Not that he would even dare to yell at anyone. Especially anyone related to someone as hot tempered as Mondo. “Was just released last night after forty-eight hours. He spent the week and a half before that in the hospital treating a pretty nasty head wound.” Suspicion number two down, and Chihiro still felt as though it was all his fault. He was positive that once he hung, his mother would race up to the academy and give him a punch much harder than Mondo could ever deliver. If Mondo had just stayed and taken the blow of his fellow classmates reactions, he wouldn't have gotten in an accident. Choosing to release such an important secret wasn't the best decision reserved for a party night, though.

With a small whimper let off away from the receiver of the phone, Chihiro sputtered out, “Is... he alright?”

“Fine. Still recovering a bit from a concussion, but he is well enough to do his work around this house. He will have to do his hours of community service before they will allow him back at the academy.” Chihiro sighed. His boyfriend wasn't dead, and now he was out of jail. The boy assumed Mondo crashed his bike leaving him with a sentence to a couple days for intoxication. More than likely, the authorities revoked his license as well. He would have to ride the bus like the rest of them if he wanted to go anywhere. Assuming his mother didn't kill him first. Chihiro was sure she didn't know about the other parties that took place safe within the academy. This was the first time a student had left under the influence and injured this bad. Any other injuries previous had been minor. Nothing to write home about. “I'm surprised he was still allowed at the academy with how bad his grades had been.”

Mondo's grades had been pretty horrible until Chihiro got a hold of him. Then again, most of their study sessions turned into... wait, why was she talking about his grades? Her son crashed and went to jail, and she wanted to go on about his grades? “You see, boy,” she snapped, her words so intent on breaking him down. It was like she was making it a point to remind him that he was indeed a boy. Mondo must have spoken of their relationship and it may not have sat well with her. "Over the summer, when my son didn't return home, I received a call from the academy. If his grades didn't improve, he would have to leave. He was failing.”

Chihiro knew his grades were horrible, but he didn't know Mondo risked expulsion. Like always, Mondo never spoke of himself. Ever. Since dating, he had tried to tutor the biker. After all, everyone had to present excellent grades. Along with their special talent just for acceptance into the academy. Meaning, at one point, the gang leader must have had exceptional scores. Otherwise they would have looked him straight over. “I began tutoring him after the summer, ma'm,” the boy offered with a small sway of his body. The toe of his shoe nervously dug in the plush carpet. “I like to think his grades improved.”

“They did. Of course, he never told me any of this. For some reason, my son refused to speak to me on the grounds that he assumed I was angry with him after the accident with his brother.” her speaking was so formal. She didn't trail any words. She never broke a sentence. And there was no slang scattered about. But she was firm, and aggressive, much like her son. “I had to call the academy myself. But they told me he had improved greatly after the summer.”

The boy smiled, allowing his body to lean against the headmaster's desk. He then perched himself upright, afraid he may bump into something lying on top. To hear that his boyfriend's grades had improved made all those long nights spent awake studying... and other things completely worth the lost sleep. Especially if it meant keeping him at the academy. “But he won't be coming back to the academy for a little while. Not until get gets his community service out of the way and finishes his work up at this house. “The smile that once adorned his cheeks faded. It was still going to be a while until he saw his boyfriend again. It was long enough to think of a plan of action, but also long enough to let Mondo decide that he wanted out of this relationship. Mondo would return. Although the lie would weigh heavy on everyone, it would be so far in the past that they would sweep it under the rug like everything else. “Boy, I need you to visit this weekend.”

Narrowing his bright, hazel eyes, he let out a breath of anxiety. Visit Mondo's home? Meet his mother face to face? Although she had calmed down from the initial irritant in her voice, Chihiro was still terrified. She didn't sound polite, and the way she kept calling him boy just felt like a call out. That his decisions upset her. All his decisions. But was he going to pass up the opportunity to see his boyfriend again? Sleeping without his regular goodnight kiss had been hard. Sitting through class without Mondo kneeing the back of his chair had been torture. And eating lunch without his boyfriend picking at his food, listening to the others talking over him as he sat quiet had been the worst. He needed to see his boyfriend. At least to verify that Mondo was okay. And talk all this out. He just wanted to hear his voice. “Yes, ma'm.”

“Bring all the homework he has missed, too.” And with that, the woman just began to go on and on about how he will get there. What time he should arrive, and remarking that the two will be staying in separate bedrooms. So it was obvious that she knew of their relationship if it was imperative to remind him that they would not be sharing a bed. Not that they ever shared a bed to sleep in the first place, or else Ishimaru would have a fit. But Chihiro nodded his head in terrified agreement, not wanting to step on any toes in the home of a gang leader's mother. She raised two rambunctious boys. There wasn't a doubt that would have whooped them a few times when necessary. Another fine example of a woman much stronger than him. Another reminder of why he had no reason to hide under the guise of being a girl in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter, but it's getting the story moving right along. Took me far too long to finish it and I know I always say this, but things have been nuts. My best friend gets married in a week, I have to make it through Mother's Day at my job (yo, Hallmark, we busy), and it's just been stressful. But I keep all of your lovely readers in mind and I promise not to give up! It's just a slow process. Thank you for reading, and commenting, and being wonderful.


	12. Chapter 12

One foot off the bus, followed by the other. Chihiro considered bringing another student with to calm his nerves. But Mondo's mother never mentioned bringing a companion. And if his mother didn't tell him to, Chihiro didn't do it. But now as he stared up the dirt covered road leading towards the quaint home in the distance, he wished he at least had someone's hand to hold. The bus pulled away, leaving him standing alone at the foot of the path. He stared at the home in the middle of nowhere. It was no wonder Mondo drove a motorcycle. The bus ride from the city was a miserable one. At least out here, he was free to speed about in the back woods before zipping onto the highways. With a long inhale, Chihiro pushed off towards his destination. His well packed rolling suitcase dug into the dirt behind him.

One uneasy step after the other. Each inch up that road got much heavier. His suitcase began to feel like he was collecting rocks on the way to his destination. He couldn't wait to see his boyfriend. Hold him in his arms. Tell him he loved him. But the thought of Mondo no longer being with him terrified him. That the biker realized he wasn't strong enough for the pressure and criticism that the world had to offer. That running away at that crucial moment gave him the perfect scapegoat right out of this relationship. Chihiro clenched the handle of his rolling suitcase. If he wanted out, Mondo wouldn't have told his mother about Chihiro.

The boy had faith the request to visit wasn't just to make up homework but because Mondo wanted him there.

Finally, he arrived at the front step of the small home. It looked old, built generations ago. Some of the side paneling cracked off and there were weeds growing in what used to be a garden by the porch. There were a few flowers, some that had just bloomed. Only a little, though. The back yard was humongous, a small, beaten down swing set perched in the grass. It was weather worn, the swing dangling lopsided by one chain. Chihiro imagined the rowdy Crazy Diamond brothers destroyed it as children doing something unnecessary. The photograph Mondo showed him popped into the boy's head. Mondo standing at a pitiful height, a wide somewhat toothless grin plastered on his face. Thinking of that rascal tearing through this back yard made Chihiro wish he shared their childhood.

He lifted his hand, laying into the doorbell. And then he waited for what felt like centuries. Who would come to the door? His mother, ready to glare down on him with the look of a fierce amazon tribe? Or Mondo, who may slam that door in his face and cower back to his room. Was this even the right house? Would this be the day he died? Either by the hand of his potential mother in law, or from the ever increasing beating of his heart. Just when he was about to whip around and high tail it back down that dusty road, the door jerked open.

There he was, half hunched in the door frame with both a shocked and uneasy expressing masking his features. Mondo frowned, silence and disappointment wracking his body. Chihiro couldn't tell if his sudden appearance upset his boyfriend, but Mondo looked taken aback. His hair was a slicked back in a tangled mess, revealing his blackened right eye. Fresh skin was reforming over the raw scrapes that tore into his forehead. It looked like he had a pretty nasty meeting with the pavement. “Oh, Mondo,” he breathed, outstretching his tiny hand. The other one let go of the suitcase, fleeing to his own agape mouth. For a moment, his tender fingers rested against Mondo's healing skin and a familiar warmth filled his body. Mondo leaned his cheek into his boyfriend's palm, but remained silent. An expression of guilt washed over his intense eyes. “Are you alright...?”

Heavy silence lingered between them and Mondo closed his eyes as Chihiro's tiny fingers grazed his temple. They traveled into his hair, avoiding the bruises spattered around his eye. And then, all the sudden, Chihiro gathered into his boyfriend's strong arms. Mondo swept him up, lifting his heels an inch from the ground. The embrace was tight and Chihiro could just feel the fear pouring from the man's body. Chihiro felt as though he should be angry. After all, his partner had fled when he needed him the most. Left him in the aftermath of their decision to open up to their fellow students. Abandoned him with the nagging, incessant lies of the beautiful model. He had every right not to be here and completely ditch his boyfriend out of hatred. But now, standing here wrapped in his lovers strong embrace, he understood that Mondo just wasn't as strong as him at the moment. He was scared. Leaving him would only make it worse.

The silence was still thick and Chihiro could feel warm tears dripping against his cheek. But they weren't falling from his eyes. He wanted to say something, whisper that everything would be alright as he usually did. But saying that almost felt like a lie. Sure, if Mondo were to head back to the academy and be honest, things would be alright. But he just couldn't trust him to do that. So letting his boyfriend hold him so close was the only thing he could do for a moment. The embrace felt good. Needed after his lonely week of crying in his bed, staring at a phone screen void of messages.

“Mondo,” came a sharp and now familiar voice from the lobby of the home. The biker immediately let go, Chihiro's tiny feet resting against the concrete of the front step. He backed up a few inches, dropping his hands and head in embarrassment. Mondo straightened his back, glancing over his shoulder to the women who must have been his mother. The tiny boy waiting outside leaned to the left to gaze past his boyfriend to catch a glimpse of the woman who was sure to murder him soon. Even though she had invited him there, Chihiro was sure no good was going to come of this. After all, she hadn't seen her son in a while. The reason him coming back being that he wrecked his bike while intoxicated and ended up in jail was means for punishment. The both of them.

His mother was a taller woman, although many inches shorter than her son. Dark hair framed her tired face and she stood perfect and straight, her shoulders tight like the frown across her face. It was obvious she spent many years struggling with boisterous boys as their devious acts drew wrinkles into her skin. And her eyes. Narrowed, and intense, like Mondo's. But hers didn't put on an act like his did sometimes. Mondo's face would read rugged and aggressive, but Chihiro had seen him break down. She looked like someone who couldn't break. Chihiro shivered and took another cautious step back. Closer to the end of the road, the better. “Who are you, young lady?” His heart clenched inside his chest. Mondo didn't mention everything about his boyfriend.

“Fujisaki Chihiro, ma'm,” he breathed, pressing his nervous hands against his uneasy stomach. His foot slid to the right to keep his balance, kicking over his suitcase. It fumbled from the front step, tumbling into the small patch of flowers that were growing around the concrete. Great, kill the only flowers that had blossomed. Chihiro reached out and swept up the handle of his suitcase, heaving it onto the step by his side.

Mondo's mother gave her son a firm look. Without a single word, Mondo grabbed the suitcase from his partner and stormed back into the house. Leaving the two standing in the doorway, many feet apart. “Some how I thought you would be taller,” she mentioned. Taller? How about not dressed like a girl? Chihiro shivered again, not sure if he should step inside or keep his careful distance. She wasn't within arms reach, which was a pretty safe length for him. She couldn't strangle him from here. “Won't you step inside?” She was so formal as she lifted her hand, offering him entry into the front door. He took her invitation with hesitant steps, his feet brushing against the plush carpet as he shuffled inside. The woman slammed the door and the boy jumped, immediately coming to a halt. He wasn't sure where he should go as Mondo had disappeared deeper into the house. To his left was the family room, with a sofa, a small television, and a curio cabinet filled with lots of adorable knick knacks. To his right was the stairs leading up, and behind her was a long narrow hallway that lead to the kitchen and other rooms. But he stood silent, waiting for instruction. “Thank you for coming. Mondo is putting your things into your room and then he will be down. Because he will talk to you.”

It wasn't that Mondo wanted to talk to him. It was that he would talk to him, or else his mother would beat him. “The dining room is this way. You can wait there.” Her voice was so sharp and it seemed that everything was irritating to her. Her son being home. Her son's boyfriend being here. Then again, Mondo did end up in the hospital and jail because of their decision. So she had a right to anger. But something told Chihiro she was always like this. He followed without hesitance, careful to keep a foot or so behind her to not step on her heels. She led him to the dining room and offered her hand towards the table where he took a seat with urgency. And in a moment, she was gone. No other introduction, no other comment. He was now sitting alone in a new home, staring at the hard wood of the dining room table.

That's when panic began to set it. It was obvious by the strong embrace that Mondo had missed him. These days spent in a hospital bed and then locked behind bars had to be hell alone. And once he got home, it sounded like his mother put him right to work. But did he avoid contact once he arrived home because his mother wouldn't let him, or because of fear? This conversation they were about to have was going to be a hard one. Even if Mondo couldn't come up with the words, Chihiro knew the second he gathered his own thoughts, they wouldn't stop coming. He had so much he wanted to say to his boyfriend. To yell, to scream, to cry. So many things had been building up and he needed to get them off his chest. This entire ordeal just wasn't fair because Mondo knew going in what would need to happen somewhere down the road. They couldn't hide forever.

Glancing up, he took note of all the photographs that adorned the walls. Many of them were of Mondo and his brother when they were those adorable, dirt covered, toothless little children. One of them playing on that decrepit swing set outside. A couple of them chasing each other in the street. Even a few of them dressed in nice suits, ready for some family event. His mother was in a few. She was beautiful when she smiled, but even in the pictures, tired lines covered her face. Circled her eyes. She just looked like a tired, worn woman, but at least she looked happy in the pictures. There wasn't a single picture where Mondo looked older than sixteen. Maybe because of his brother's passing. This was the first time since then that Mondo had left the academy.

Heavy feet raced down the steps from down the hall, and Chihiro sat upright in his chair. From somewhere else in the house, he could hear the clamoring of pots and pans. A fan clicked on the kitchen. Perhaps his mother was making dinner. “Could you give us like a minute?” Mondo's hushed, angry voice sounded from around the corner of the dining room. “Don't listen in on us, alright, mom?”

“You best be honest with him, boy, and clean this mess up,” his mother scolded him much louder than a whisper. There was the sound of a tiny smack against skin, and Mondo grunting in return. Her voice was in the kind of tone that let Mondo know he should never speak to his mother like that. Chihiro hunched his shoulders down. He had never talked back to his parents. Well, once when he was a small child. But the smallest hint of anger in his father's eyes was enough to make him cry out any thought of being deviant. He was lucky his parents weren't that strict. That would have made life much harder than it already had been. Mondo rounded the corner. His attention dropped towards the floor as he took a cumbersome seat in the chair catty corner to Chihiro. He stared down at the wood, licking at his bottom lip. Chihiro noticed there was a sore there, too, but it was healing over at this point. He thanked the heavens that Mondo didn't die in that accident.

The silence. It fled between them like a swarm of bees. It was so irritating and terrifying that he couldn't bring himself to utter a word to the man he used to tell everything to. After days of no contact, waiting with anxious thoughts to give him a piece of his mind, not a single word escaped his lips. It was obvious Mondo wasn't going to speak first, either. So to break the silence, Chihiro slipped his hand beneath the table and placed it against his partner's knee. The sigh that fled from Mondo's lips was a long one, filled with self doubt and anxiety. “Love you,” he muttered like a battered child, his hand lacing with Chihiro's beneath the table. His voice was low so his mother couldn't hear him. Not because confessing his love was embarrassing, but because he didn't want her to hear anything at all.

“I love you,” Chihiro stated, his voice well below a murmur as he stared towards the door frame of the dining room. There was another clank of metal from the kitchen and a cabinet slamming shut. She was far enough away that she couldn't hear anything. Which was good, because Chihiro was sure his voice wouldn't stay below a whisper for long. Not when he had so much emotion building in him like a time bomb.

“I wish we could go somewhere else and talk... I don't wanna-”

“Talk in front of your mom, I know,” Chihiro breathed. Or talk in front of anyone. That's what got them in this mess. It was like he didn't want to be honest about his feelings in front of anyone but Chihiro. The thought felt special and it was nice knowing Mondo trusted him with his secrets. But they couldn't continue in a healthy relationship without being honest to everyone, too. “We don't have a choice... so please... say whatever it is you need to say.”

Mondo narrowed his eyes and Chihiro could feel his hand retreat from his beneath the table. The boy's words spilled out a little harsh, but expected. It hurt. Tired of talking. Or at least being the one to do the talking. “I've said everything... I can say about all this.” His breaths were short, forcing out the sentence with as much hardness as he could muster. “I've said everything to you. I've said everything to them. I can't be the one to do the talking on our behalf any longer, Mondo.” He bit down on his lip the second he let those words slide, fearing that he may be too hard on his boyfriend. It wasn't in his nature to be cruel, or even tough, but recently he had built up such a thick skin that he couldn't help it. With all the teasing words Junko had thrown his way, and all the internal comebacks he had stored, his thoughts had turned to steel. He couldn't let anyone push him around any longer. “So please... tell me... everything you're thinking. Be... honest.”

That painstaking silence enveloped the room again. Chihiro squeezed his boyfriend's thigh against his fingertips. Why wouldn't he say anything? It was obvious he must have explained the situation to his mother, otherwise she wouldn't have told him to fix it. Unless she wasn't talking about making it right. Unless she wanted them to break up. But how could he discuss things with his mother... and even Junko, in private, but couldn't do it sitting right next to his boyfriend. Pulling his hand away, he instead bunched his balled fists within his lap. He took the silence as a notion that Mondo just couldn't speak up first. He needed prodding. But Chihiro had run out of things to say. “Just tell me... tell me why you confide so much in Junko. And why... you just can't tell everyone the truth...”

There it was. The words he had bundled up in his mind all week. The thoughts that had gathered for months in the back of his mind while they were dating. Things he wished he had said sooner to help this process along. Words that were now backed by anger and abandonment. And because his boyfriend couldn't speak up, they weren't going to stop. And they just got louder, and louder. “Why did you do that?” he breathed through a thick, heavy sob that could be hear well across the room. “Why did you run away? And get hurt?! Why did you think getting in an accident was worth not telling the truth?!”

“Chi,” Mondo grunted, tossing a worried glance towards the open doorway of the dining room. Chihiro caught his hesitance and cried harder, knowing his boyfriend didn't want to talk about them in front of anyone. He wasn't worth risking an embarrassing conversation. Even if meant burying their relationship in a deeper hole. His heart fluttered and he pressed his hand against it, that familiar feeling of anxiety gathering in his chest. His breath was fast and he didn't mean for the emotion to take over like it was. Especially as this was the first impression that Mondo's mother got of him.

But if he walked out of this house single, it wasn't going to matter what she thought of him from this day forward. “You could have died, Mondo,” he choked through tears, his chest heaving as he sucked in a huge breath. “You would rather risk your life than telling everyone the truth! You couldn't stand beside me and just be honest to a group of people who are your friends. They don't even care!” The boy's knees shook beneath the table. That terrible prickling sensation crept over his cheeks as the tears burned his skin.

“Chi...”

“Everyone's been so worried about you! Don't you understand how much everyone cares about you!” His voice picked up to a near yell, and he would have been screaming if it weren't for the tears wracking his sobs. He jolted in his chair, his little feet threatening a stand. Mondo stared at his emotional boyfriend. The fear zapped from his expression, replaced with unbearable guilt. Behind the fresh scars and the thick bruises was a mask of regret. “How much I care about you?!” The taller man reached out, his hands hovering around Chihiro's shoulders. But the boy was shaking so violently, he was hesitant to hold him. “I know this is all scary, and you think everyone's just going to hate you, but they won't! They don't! And it wasn't worth you running away! Why did you run away from me?!”

His voice sounded throughout the home and all the clamoring in the kitchen came to an end. The only sound was the kitchen fan and the heavy breathing spilling from Chihiro's lips. His little body trembled and his cheeks were a painful red. His hands bunched tight in his lap. He thought he was going to throw up from letting his emotion run out. But it was the last thing he could do to make Mondo be honest. To make Mondo realize there was a reason he should be speaking. Silence had only brought them no where. The bigger of the two began to scoot his chair around to the same side of his partner's. His strong arms reached out, embracing his loved one tight against his chest. Chihiro just sobbed. Crying loud against his boyfriend's chest, his little fingers wrapping tight into the fabric of his shirt. The thought that they could not be having this conversation frightened him. Mondo could have died. Because he wasn't strong enough to face his classmates. “I'm sorry,” he muttered, but it wasn't heard over his boyfriend's loud cries.

Chihiro felt a warm kiss lay against his forehead, and then another on the top of his head. Fingers coursed through his hair and another hand rubbed down his back. Being in his boyfriend's arms felt so soothing. He let his own arms snake around his lover's torso, never wanting to let go for fear that he would never have this chance again. He had taken advantage of all the times before when they would be cuddling in their bedroom. He enjoyed every second of their embraces without a second thought that he wouldn't share them again. The more Mondo held him, the less tears fell. “I'm sorry, okay...” the biker stated again in a hushed whisper, his warm voice reverberating into the boy's body. “I acted like an idiot... I got scared.”

The smaller boy wanted to shout out because although he wanted to finish with his words, there was plenty more he wanted to say. Nothing that would fix the situation. Only things that would make it much, much worse and make his boyfriend that much more guilty. It wasn't fair to pour everything on Mondo like that, though, so he kept quiet. The biker still needed to say so much himself. “I didn't know what else to do...” he stated, his grasp growing firm around his small partner. He would squeeze tighter if it weren't for the fact that his body still ached from his accident. He had recovered well enough, but everything was sore. Especially his ego. “I had built myself up all day, you know... like, yeah, this was going to be the day. And everyone was going to be cool with it! And then it was time to tell everyone... and I wasn't okay anymore.”

“Why do you let them scare you?”

“You let them scare you for years,” Mondo grunted in return. Chihiro reminded himself that Mondo just hadn't experienced this struggle as long as he had. Chihiro had been hiding his secret since he was a child, which might make others believe that he has had it harder growing up. Yes, life was difficult growing up. But imagine living your life one way, and then meeting someone who changes your entire thought process. Makes you something you were lead to believe was vile and disgusting. Chihiro assumed his fellow gang members weren't too kind to those boys attracted to other boys. And Mondo could have grown up with the same hateful notion. “You've had longer to think about it, and accept what you don't like about yourself...” 

His voice was so quiet. And so broken. It wasn't picking up in anger like it always did when he tried to explain himself. He must have spent a lot of time alone in jail practicing what he wanted to say. “There was already so much shit I hated about myself before you came along.” He never let off that he disliked anything about himself. But if anyone insulted him, he was quick to anger. In a matter of seconds, he was ready to ring someone's neck. Attempted fist fights were the reason he was in detention for almost half of the first semester. Over stupid things. He may have taken anything someone said as a personal attack. Chihiro often felt that way when people would comment about his frail stature and quiet nature. They didn't mean to be insulting, and to perhaps a high school girl, comments like that seemed normal. Maybe if Chihiro's gut instinct was to punch someone instead of cry, this situation wouldn't even be happening. “You've spent all your life knowing you want to be stronger. I've had... like... six months... to know I need to be stronger for new reasons.”

There was another long pause of silence, not because he lacked something to say. But because he couldn't quite form his words. Chihiro could feel his shaking, not out of anger, but still fear. So much fear dwelling in his large body. He didn't have anyone to be scared of right now. Not here when they were alone in the dining room. Sure, his mother had returned to slamming cabinet doors and throwing about kitchen utensils. But he didn't need to be scared of her. Chihiro did. “It's okay,” the boy whispered, placing a kiss along his lover's collar bone. Everyone at school was alright with the news. No one had teased him. They didn't even ask him questions. Everything went on as normal. Perhaps it was because everyone was so worried about Mondo.

“I just love you so much,” the biker huffed, grunting again as if the mere thought of sobbing would hurt. But he choked it back and Chihiro felt the man's fingers grip his shoulders. Sometimes those words felt a little forced. He never said it in front of the fellow classmates. And if he did, it was quiet. A whisper in his ear. Aside from the first time he uttered it outside in the rain, his love profession just sounded like a response to Chihiro's. A simple response. But this time, it was so deliberate. So full of the emotion that Chihiro had been dying to hear for a while. Purposeful, desperate emotion. The man's chest heaved as he took in a heavy breath, drawing his boyfriend closer to his chest. Despite the ache in his arms, he clung tighter, nearly taking Chihiro's breath away.

“I love you, too...” the boy mumbled with his cheek pressed just beneath Mondo's collar bone. “It's okay...” It wasn't. Things weren't okay. They would be if Mondo just continued to open up, but it seemed that now he had resolved to stifled crying into his partner's bangs. They sat like that for another few minutes and the smaller of the two let out a defeated sigh. He had all weekend to get the words out of him. Perhaps tonight wasn't the best time for it.


	13. Chapter 13

The conversation didn't get much further than the caring, terrified embraces. After a long bout of silence, Mondo's mother finally broke it by plopping dinner down in front of the both of them. Not before giving her son the strongest death look though. She didn't use any words to interfere, but she made her presence known between the two of them. Especially when Chihiro was off to bed. He could hear Mondo's mother stating that they would remain in separate rooms. And if he even so much as thought to step foot in Chihiro's room, he would be hanging from that swing set outside. Chihiro wondered if he was a promiscuous teen who had problems sneaking his significant others into his room. The thought of Junko sharing anything more than a hug with his boyfriend made him shudder. 

Mondo's mother was so intimidating. She stopped directing all her words to Chihiro and now focused on her son. But with dropping all her conversation with Chihiro, at least she had stopped calling him “boy”. The way she used the term was uncomfortable, like she was taking a jab at the whole situation. Her son. Her strong, handsome son in love with another boy. Like it disgusted her. And if she knew anything of Junko, the difference between his partner choice also had to be a huge surprise. Even if he were a girl, Chihiro didn't exactly fit the description of a gang leader's love interest. He turned over in his bed, staring at the bright screen of his hand held. He couldn't sleep, so playing a little mindless video game would maybe put his mind at ease.

He tapped at the screen with the stylus, his breath gathering heavy in his chest. There was no way he was going to get any comfortable sleep tonight. For one, the conversation wasn't settled. After the long embrace and dinner, there was nothing more on the topic. The two instead sat in silence and caught up on all the homework Mondo had missed in his absence. And not without his mother's watchful eye. It was enjoyable being in his boyfriend's company. But Chihiro couldn't help the feeling of unease that settled in his stomach the whole time. Quiet moments alone were always so pleasant, but they diminished the second they were in front of everyone else. And what kind of person was Mondo going to be when he returned? If he returned.

Chihiro narrowed his eyes, growing frustrated with the brightness of his screen. This wasn't making sleep come any faster, so he clicked the little console shut and flipped to lay on his back. The room was warm, and he forewent his normal wispy pajamas for something more covered. Just in case he had to get up in the middle of the night for a drink or the bathroom, and Mondo's mother happened to be there guarding the way. He flipped the blankets from his body, moving his legs against the bed so the legs of his pants would push up further. Why did she keep the house so hot? Or was he still just so jumbled with nerves that his temperature was sky rocketing? It was so uncomfortable.

Another thing that was uncomfortable was that he was sleeping in Daiya and Mondo's old room. Mondo mentioned that because of the small space in the house, the two had to share a room growing up. Though his mother stored most everything now to make this a guest bedroom. There was a pile of clothes in the corner that made it evident that this is where Mondo had been sleeping throughout the week. Although this bed was much too small for him now. This room had to have been vacant for years now. At least not since before he came to the academy. Some pictures still adorned the walls, and a few of their childhood toys sat atop the dresser. It was a strange mix of emotions. Warmth because of the pictures scattered about. Awkwardness because he was sleeping in a bed that could have belonged to his boyfriend growing up. Or to his boyfriend's deceased brother. And sadness because he knew so many memories vanished from his room after Daiya passed.

With a long sigh, he rolled over in bed, attempting to shut his eyes for some sleep.

He heard the door handle shimmy and picked his head up from the pillow. A small trail of light trickled into the room before the door swung open, someone sneaking inside. Mondo stood against the door, pressing it closed with his back. It clicked into place and he stood still. His mother had banished him to the living room downstairs where he should have been sleeping on the couch. That was about half an hour ago after she finished chastising him right outside this bedroom door.“You awake?” he questioned in the lowest whisper he could manage.

“Your mother told you to sleep downstairs,” Chihiro whispered back as his boyfriend came to the side of the bed. Without warning, he slid in beside Chihiro, resting his head against the pillow. It reminded him of the night that started all this, when Mondo claimed his bed while Chihiro went to brush his teeth. He thought the boy was trouble back then. But now he knew Mondo's mother was the only person to be afraid of. “She is going to kill us both if she finds you in here...”

“I couldn't sleep,” Mondo stated. It didn't take him long before he wrapped himself around his partner. One arm slithered beneath the pillow, and the other draped over Chihiro's shoulders. He pressed his chin to the smaller boy's forehead, making himself comfortable against the bed. “Besides, she's out cold. I checked.” A sigh escaped his lips. Mondo knew his mother better than Chihiro did. But the tiny one was nervous that she would come bolting in at any moment, ready to toss her son outside.

It felt nice being in his arms again, though. The two were silent for a moment, Chihiro turning himself to get comfortable against his boyfriend's body. It was so hot in this room, so cuddling only made it warmer, but he didn't mind this heat. It reminded him of being back in the academy. When they would cuddle after a particularly long movie. Or try to give their good nights and end up back in each others arms. Sometimes it would be just this. Sometimes it would lead to kisses. Mondo pressed his lips against the top of Chihiro's head, and the smaller boy thought this was where the advances would begin. But his partner didn't explore much more beyond that.

Besides sweet, small kisses along the top of his head. Some were a few seconds between each other, some a minute or two. But kisses, one after another, maybe to make up for all the lost ones in the days they didn't see one another. All placed along the top of his head. On top of his bangs, over the spot where the counter left a bruise many, many months ago. Warm, soft, and desperate. “When I left that night,” he spoke up with his lips rested against Chihiro's warm skin and a lump in his throat. The boy lifted his head a bit so he could look his boyfriend in the eyes, despite the darkness enveloping them. “And I got in that stupid accident... wrecked my bike... it's totaled.”

Chihiro wondered how far his boyfriend even got before crashing his bike. He hadn't seen anything about it in the news, and it wasn't close enough to hear sirens near the academy. A pang of fear fled through his body knowing his boyfriend could have died that night. Despite his face spattered with bruises, the boy was glad that Mondo walked away with just that. “And I laid there in the street... thinkin'... maybe if I don't get up from this, things will be okay.” Silence. Chihiro's heart stopped. What? “Like... if I didn't come back, you wouldn't have to worry anymore. And baby me and shit...”

“Don't say things like that...”

“But it's true... I've caused you more problems in the past six months than you wanted to deal with... all cause I'm not strong enough for it.” A large sigh spilled from Mondo's lip and his body trembled against the bed. They had been through a lot. And some of it was painful. But to say it wasn't worth it would be a lie. The man's body shook and Chihiro felt his boy's chest heave with each rising breath. The yells were bubbling in him. The urge to shout crowded in his lungs and the programmer just embraced him tighter. He thought that? He considered lying there to die? “I just thought if I never came back, you would get over it and-”

“Mondo, no,” Chihiro whimpered, squeezing his boyfriend tight around the waist. The man always put on such a tough demeanor that when Chihiro saw him break down, he thought his heart would fall to pieces. He was strong. He was so strong. Strong enough to keep moving after his brother's death. Strong enough to admit to himself that he was in love with another boy. And strong enough to stay with him. Maybe not through everything, but quite a bit over the past six months. Maybe Chihiro had moved too fast. Like Mondo said, he had years to figure out who he was, and come to terms with himself. Mondo had six months to handle some new and surprising information that had laid dormant in him his entire life.

“I've done nothing but cause problems all my life. You know this isn't the first time I went to jail, right? Well, I went to juvie... got in a fight, fightin' along side my gang, and... police caught us. My mom was so pissed,” the man explained, his voice seeming to calm a bit from just two seconds ago. Yelling would only alarm his mother. And seeing as he wasn't meant to be in this room right now, keeping his voice down was for the best. Chihiro kept his ear close so they didn't have to speak above a whisper. “And I hadn't talked to her since Daiya died... and she had to pick my ass up from jail again...”

Chihiro pressed his lips against the base of Mondo's chin, his hand traveling up to run through the biker's hair. It was still pulled back in a messy ponytail, but loose strands fell around his face. Since he hadn't left the house in a while, he wasn't bothered styling it at all like he always did. “I'm sure she was just happy to see you... and you don't cause problems.”

“I don't? I really don't? If I didn't cause problems, we would be back at the academy right now, happy alongside our classmates...” He was right. But Chihiro understood. It was a lot to take in. And although he among the class after revealing the biggest secret he had held for so many years, even he sat in fear from time to time. They all smiled to his face, but someone had to be hiding disgust behind their teeth. Someone besides Junko. Now that he wasn't at the academy, the entire group might circle around, chatting about them behind their backs. But Ishimaru would stand up for them. And Naegi was too sweet to talk them down. And Asahina. Sakura. Many of them. They had good friends.

“We can be happy around them...”

“But I can't get my fucking act together, Chihiro!” Mondo's voice picked up and reverberated through the quiet room. Chihiro stared at him, his eyes trembling before he fluttered them shut. He pressed a calming kiss against Mondo's jawline, burrowing his body closer to his. “I can't... I wish I was strong like you.”

When Chihiro came to the academy, Mondo intimidated him. The man was tall, rugged, and wasn't afraid to snap at the other classmates. He stuck up for himself. Maybe not because he believed he deserve the defense, but because he felt attacked. But at least he had the guts to call the other classmates out on it. Sometimes it resulted in physical fights. A lot of time it ended in detention. But at least he was able to spout off when he needed to. He was strong. He was so strong. And Chihiro admired him for it. Longed to be like him. Because he was someone that Chihiro could never see himself being. “You are strong.” Chihiro's fingers raked through his lover's hair, resting soft against the back of his neck.

The biker sighed. “Not like you.” Another kiss laid upon his forehead. “I could beat the shit out of everyone in the academy... except Oogami-san... and I can yell much louder than anyone here. And I can fight, lift more things, and break more shit... but that doesn't make me strong like you. That just makes me stupid.” The smaller of the two huffed. “It's not like I can go back to the academy, punch a few people, and get my point across... I need words, like you... I need to make them respect me. Not fear me.”

“You can, if you just go back and be honest with them... if you hide, they won't respect you... Except for right now, they all think I lied to do... so honestly, they all pity you.” The programmer bit down on the inside of his cheek, remembering how everyone stared while he beat against Mondo's door. And Junko's stupid words that caused this mess. They may be respectful of his secret, but thinking that Chihiro had lied left a painful hole in all their hearts. And if they knew Mondo had been in an accident as a result of it... surely, they would hate him.

“What do you mean? Why would they think you lied to me?”

Chihiro was surprised that the girl hadn't tried contacting Mondo about the entire situation. Spread more lies since he was away from the academy. Considering her need to make them a miserable couple, it was surprising she hadn't sent unkind words to Mondo. “They think I never told you until that night. They assume that you thought I was a girl the entire time we have been dating... because Junko said so.” Remembering his fingerprints smacked across her cheek, he no longer felt the shame of letting his rage loose. She deserved it. He just felt bad for everyone else who saw it. “She was picking at me in front of everyone... saying that I lied, and what were we going to do after we got out of school. Would I keep lying then? Everyone believed her because they didn't know any better.”

Mondo was quiet for a long while and Chihiro peeked up, staring at him biting his lip. Because Mondo knew better. He had told Junko about the secret long ago. But Chihiro couldn't wait on him to admit that, because the biker wouldn't admit it. “Why did you tell her?”

“Tell... her what...”

“About me being a boy. She knew already.” Mondo narrowed his eyes, bunching up his shoulders as if he had no idea what his tiny partner was talking about. But the longer they sat in silence, the gang leader knew he couldn't hide much else. Whatever he hadn't made obvious, Junko had already told. “Why do you put so much trust in her?”

“I don't trust her.”

“Telling her a secret I hid my entire life, and only told to you is putting a lot of trust in someone...” His words came out so harsh, but he was getting to his boiling point again. Mondo was darting around the truth when he could solve everything just by being honest. If he was honest with Chihiro, and honest with himself, they could fix so many problems. They could go back to the academy and sit in peace among their classmates without the fear of chatter behind their backs. They could hold hands knowing everything was off their chest. And Chihiro didn't have to sit in quiet jealousy when Junko so much as glanced in Mondo's direct. It wasn't usual from Chihiro, but he needed to be stern. “You know how she loves to get into people's business and use things against them. It was only a matter of time before she told the whole school, not only endangering me, but you.”

Mondo took in a long breath, filling his lungs completely and holding it there. He shut his eyes, letting the air sift from his nose before he let go of Chihiro, lying on his back instead. The boy whimpered at the brief abandonment, propping himself onto his elbow to lean over the gang leader a bit. Mondo stared at the ceiling through the darkness, and his little boyfriend gave him a moment to gather his thoughts. Although, Mondo had more than enough time to think about all this over the past few days. Chihiro's patience could only last so long, and his stay was a short one. If they didn't have a break through soon, chances were Mondo wasn't returning. And if he would, he might not be willing to tell the truth to the rest of the class. And Chihiro couldn't wait until they graduated to be with him again.

Tilting his head, the programmer reached up and combed his fingers through his partner's messy hair. “If you're ever going to feel comfortable being around everyone, you're going to have to tell the truth. Be honest with them about us... just be honest in general.” Mondo brought his arms above his head, pushing his lover a bit away from him. Chihiro drew his head back, instead laying heavy beside his boyfriend. “You can start by being honest with me.”

“But I am, Chi...” the man groaned, tucking one hand beneath his head, the other over his face.

“The past two things I asked you, you lied to me... just now. Why do you think you need to hide things from me? I'm your boyfriend. I'm not everyone at the academy,” the smaller of the two muttered. He flattened his shirt over his stomach, tossing a side glance to his boyfriend. “Just answer these questions with the truth, okay... please.”

Mondo rubbed at his temples, taking in another large breath. “Okay.”

“How long were you with Junko?”

Mondo sighed, his eyes searching the ceiling for the answer. “Like a couple months, I think. Wasn't long.” A lot longer than the four days that Junko had mentioned. And a lot could happen in a couple months. He assumed Mondo was being truthful about that one.

Chihiro nodded in response, another question popping into his mind. It was a small one, one he didn't believe. But it was still nagging at him. “She said... you smoked cigarettes.”

“No,” Mondo grunted in return, bunching up his shoulders. “Well, I did. I used to. Long time ago when she and I dated. But I only did it as... a social thing. Or when I stressed out,” the biker explained, sounding ashamed of himself for even picking up the habit. Chihiro thought he wasn't doing it now because he suspected he would smell it on him, or taste it when they kissed. But if it were a problem now, he would want to know so he could help him quit. “That was her fault... she would get cigarettes and shit from the other models. Even though we were like... fifteen. Kept them from gaining weight. But she didn't want them, so she gave them to me. I picked it up, thought it would make me cool or some shit...”

Chihiro reached beside him and brushed his knuckle against Mondo's hip. In a gang, that was most likely seen as cool. Boost his status among his peers. Threaten others. “Do you see? Do you see how stupid I am?” Mondo piped up, slamming his fist down against the bed on the opposite side so he didn't whack Chihiro. “Who even thinks that's cool? It's disgusting! I'm an idiot.”

“You don't do it now, right? So it's okay... people make mistakes.”

“No, it's stupid! It's stupid that you even have to ask me these questions!” Chihiro narrowed his eyes and drew his hand away. The whole point of this was to bring out some honesty. Make Mondo feel like it was alright to tell him things. Open up about his past. Talk about things he grew up with. Discuss the concerns in his head now. Just talk about himself. Chihiro was just trying to make him comfortable, but be fair to the both of them. Obviously the biker didn't want to comply. The programmer pressed his hands against the bed and sat upright, considering leaving the room for a breather. Taking a spot on the couch downstairs to sleep instead. It would most likely come with a stern reprimanding from Mondo's mother. But if Mondo wasn't willing to work with him, it wouldn't get solved.

Just as Chihiro was ready to swing his feet off the side of the bed, Mondo reached out, taking his hand. He squeezed it. Glancing over his shoulder, Chihiro caught the defeated glance across his partner's face. Mondo just stared at the ceiling, angry and tired. The bruises couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes. “It's stupid that I can't just tell you these things... I should be able to just tell you these things. That's what you're thinking... right?”

Chihiro shook his head for a moment, but he was exactly right. So he was learning from this little exercise. Bit by bit, he was getting the idea. Chihiro drew his feet towards himself, tucking them beneath his bottom. He could feel Mondo's weight pulling against his hand until the biker, too, was sitting up. He pulled his knees up, resting his elbows against them before placing his forehead in his hand. “Because you tell me everything... about your dad, what happened to you when you were a kid, all your computer stuff... and I just... tell you I love you sometimes.”

The smaller of the two collected a long breath in his chest, slumping his shoulders forward a bit. Chihiro's body turned so Mondo could only see his shoulders and messy hair covering his face. He didn't like to look at him when they were both upset. “And I know it hurts you that... Junko knows things you don't know because she was there. Like about my brother...” Chihiro nodded, biting down on his lip. Hurt and jealous. A great combination of both anytime he even looked at her. But he didn't say anything. Mondo was doing good explaining on his own for once. “I met her at some thing... some event thing, I don't remember. But she was all over my brother, but she was way too young for him. So he introduced me to her instead to kind of get her off his back.”

And his story began, about how the two didn't hit it off at first. She was obnoxious, and he was turned off by her prying, elitist attitude towards everyone around her. Not that he was any better. He was a teenager, after all. He had anger now, but when he was a kid, it was all rage. He was mean to everyone around him because that's how his peers taught him to be. They fought, they picked on each other, but they hooked up anyway. Because that's what he felt he was meant to do. The gang didn't like her. His mother hated her. But Mondo continued to date her because that's what society told him to do. Find himself a pretty girl and stick with her. And then his brother died. “And she... wasn't there all the sudden,” Mondo sighed, squeezing his partner's hand again. “Not that she really ever was there, but she was absent more than usual. And since I spent so long thinking I needed to get closer to her, I tried talking to her... but she didn't listen. It was bad.”

The smaller boy finally turned his body towards Mondo. He reached out to course his fingers through his partner's tangled hair once more. Drawing the strands from his face, he noticed the glaze of tears in Mondo's eyes. Talking about his brother hurt. The entire school knew how he died. They heard he threw himself in front of a semi to protect his brother. Even if he didn't talk about it much, he always made it a point to mention that Daiya died protecting him. Like he always had before. “And then I saw her talking to Leon and tried not to let it shake me. But he said something dumb, and I just punched him. Broke his nose or some shit...” Letting out a puff of breath from his nose, a small smile slid onto the corner of Chihiro's lips. He remembered he never mentioned to Mondo about the blow Junko took to the face. Adopting his boyfriend's anger. Best not to bring it up. “And what kills me is... I never even liked her. Never. I still don't. But I just keep talking to her because she shows interest... even though I know better.”

“Keep going, you're doing good,” Chihiro thought to himself, raking his fingers through Mondo's hair over and over again. On occasion, he would stop at the base of the man's neck and rub there for a second. Whatever he could do to keep his lover calm and still talking.

“I just dated her because Daiya said I should. Because all the guys thought it was a good idea. Even if THEY didn't like her. And then I saw you and... I realized I didn't have to put up with her anymore. But then I spent years thinking I was never good enough for you,” Mondo grunted, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. He wiped away a trace of tears against the blanket and looked towards the bedroom door. “Which... I guess I was. I'm not good enough.”

Letting him talk had hit a good stopping point. He was doing so well, but it seemed like he was going to circle back. “Mondo, stop,” Chihiro stepped in, scooting himself so he was kneeling before him on the bed. His tiny hands pressed against both of Mondo's cheeks, forcing the biker to stare at his boyfriend. “That's not true...”

“But, I-”

“No,” Chihiro grunted. He burrowed his eyebrows and pressed his forehead against Mondo's. “Do you understand why we are in this mess? It's not because you're not good enough for me. It's because you're so good for me, I didn't want to lie anymore,” he pressed, his fingers beginning to tremble. He loved Mondo so much and hated to see his confidence plummet. Even if it was just a mask of courage from Mondo, it was enough to put hope in Chihiro's little heart for his future. “After years... and years of hiding, I wanted to be myself. I wanted people to see me be myself and be happy with you. It doesn't mean we're perfect, because we never will be. But... You gave me confidence I couldn't find in myself for years.”

“Yeah...?” Mondo sniffled, wrinkling up his nose to dissipate the tears threatening in his eyes.

“Yeah.” Chihiro pressed his lips against the biker's forehead, letting himself fall into his arms for an embrace. Mondo wrapped his arms around his small boyfriend in desperation, pulling him into his lap. The programmer could feel his boyfriend's chest swell with air before he released a loud sigh. The frustration had slipped from his body and it sounded more like a sigh of relief. “If we weren't together, I would still be sitting to the side of the group, waiting for my turn to talk. I wouldn't put the extra effort into dressing up daily... and I wouldn't skip to class.”

“You probably wouldn't skip class, either,” Mondo mumbled with half a smile. He was referencing a time when they chose to hang out in the storage closet instead of the last hour of class. Not even to do anything inappropriate. Just to spend time together that wasn't class work or with their peers. It was one time, and Chihiro felt horrible for it... for a few minutes, at least. Chihiro puffed up his cheeks and the devious grin disappeared from his boyfriend's face. “I didn't realize I did that for you. Thought you were the one always givin' me strength.”

“And I try to, but don't think for a second that you're bad for me, or you do nothing for me... Thank you... for telling me about Junko. I feel better,” Chihiro murmured, clinging to his loved one like a koala. He slid his legs around Mondo's waist, pressing his body into the bikers. Not for any seductive purpose, but because he never wanted to let go. He didn't want to let another day go by where Mondo was afraid to be by his side. “You'll... come back to school?”

“... yeah.”

“And you'll... be yourself with me...” Mondo tightened his embrace around Chihiro's shoulders. It wasn't a question. It was a patient, calm order that Mondo understood without responding. “And we will survive high school and be successful, happy people together... right?”

Chihiro pulled back, his fingers laced behind Mondo's neck as support. Mondo nodded with a lighthearted smile. “Right.” Pressing a kiss against the corner of the programmer's lips, he suddenly laid back, taking Chihiro with him. Chihiro tumbled to his side, but still kept himself well enough against his partner. “I'm tired now...” he sighed now that relief filled his body. Although not completely gone, the insecurities had flushed through his body. Until he had to stand up to his classmates and tell them the truth. But he would cross that hurdle later.

“You're going to go downstairs...?” Chihiro muttered in disappointment.

“Nope, sleeping right here. This is my room, after all,” he smirked and Chihiro glanced towards the door in apprehension.

“You can't do that. Your mother would kill me.”

Mondo smiled again with a hush towards the smaller one. With his lips pressed against Chihiro's forehead, he responded in a hoarse whisper, “Shush. She loves you. She would kill me first.” The small boy blushed with a shaking smile, surprised to hear those words from his boyfriend. His mother approved of him. He felt warm, and not because of the temperature anymore. He hoped that one day he could show off his boyfriend to his father, too. Since he didn't talk about him over holiday break.

As Mondo settled into the bed and tugged the blankets around them, another concern popped into Chihiro's brain. He never wanted to ask before because there were still things that seemed so personal that it wasn't time to reveal them. But as he laid under the blanket preparing to spend his first night sleeping in the same bed with his boyfriend, he couldn't let the thought escape. “Did you ever... uh... what did you...” he murmured, biting down on his lip. “You know... anything... with Junko?”

“You mean like... did I sleep with her?” Mondo's face turned a hazy shade of red and his thin eyebrows contorted in embarrassment. “Like not sleep like we're about to do but...” Chihiro nodded furiously, shutting his eyes tight in anticipation of the answer. “Hell no. Never. What makes you think that?! I never even kissed her.”

“I don't know, I was just making sure. And you know how she is, she says really weird things. And she was super obsessed with making sure I never did anything like that with you, and I just thought maybe you guys had... and... and...” Chihiro's ramblings continued as a cover up for his random question. His little heart threatened to burst out of his chest. He didn't talk about these things to anyone, and had never brought up interest or intentions of it with Mondo ever. He just had to know and get the last words of Junko eating at him out of his brain. And now he was thinking about the possibility of their sleepy cuddling going further. His chest tightened. Panic settled in that he had brought up something too embarrassing, even if nothing had happened. And then he remembered one final thing he needed to admit himself. “I smacked her.”

“Wait, what?”

“She made me so angry after what happened, and saying that I lied to you, and all the sudden I just got so mad. And before I knew it, I had smacked her clear across the face and Ishimaru-kun had to hold me back... I was... really upset.” Chihiro huffed, remembering the moment, but his little bout of anger lightened when he heard Mondo start to laugh. It was a slow laugh, just below his breath, but it soon erupted into a hard belly laugh. To which Chihiro responded with a giggle of his own. He had thought back on the moment with a smirk before, but this was the first time he ever laughed it off. Mainly because anytime he thought about it again, he was sure Junko would appear to murder him. “It's not funny,” he snorted, flattening his hand over his face.

“It's very funny and I'm so pissed I missed it,” Mondo chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. His boyfriend, standing no taller than five feet, popping Junko straight in the face. “Glad someone finally did it.”

Chihiro bunched up his shoulders, shutting his eyes. His body felt very tired. From the anxiety inducing bus ride to the tense dinner featuring his mother's band of kitchen utensils. The crying, the forceful whispers. Confessions and questions. He was tired. “I love you,” he muttered, pressing his small lips against his boyfriend's cheek bone. He squirmed back into his place in the crook of Mondo's arm, his face nuzzled against his chest.

Mondo chest shook as he came down from his raucous laughter. He rubbed at his eyes, freeing them of the happy tears from laughing so hard. To suppress whatever giggles were left, he pressed his lips against the top of Chihiro's head. His hard clung around the boy's shoulders, missing the way his tiny partner fit against his body. “Love you, too,” he murmured against Chihiro's forehead. “I'll be sure to... tell everyone that when I get back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the last, everyone. Might be significantly shorter than this one since this one just kept going, and going, and goooooing.


	14. Chapter 14

Chihiro could have relived that night a million times. For the first time in their relationship, they shared a bed. Nothing more than innocent cuddling, delusional rants, and laughter at three in the morning. But they had slept beneath the same covers, bundled against each other. It felt so warm and comforting. They talked. They talked for hours. About being children. About the broken down swing set in the back yard. And how Mondo plummeted off the metal slide and chipped a tooth when he was nine. Chihiro relived the time when he slipped from the monkey bars. He pretended to hurt his ankle so his father would pick him up from school. Mondo assumed it was because of bullying he endured as a child. The boy informed him that it was actually because he wanted to watch his favorite movie instead of sit in class.

And then they talked about their future. Their plans after high school. Chihiro wanted to continue his education. Mondo wanted to build things. They both wanted a place of their own some day, and Mondo wanted to get a dog. Chihiro was a little frightened of dogs, so Mondo suggested a small one. The more tired they felt, the more intimate the conversation of their future became.

The worry that Mondo's mother was waiting on the other side of the door with a nail studded bat had slipped his mind. She only yelled at Mondo a little bit the next morning. All the way home, Chihiro texted his boyfriend about how excited he was for Mondo to meet his father. Text after happy, blissful text about their future. His father would approve, as long as Mondo didn't mention he drove a motorcycle. And crashed it. And went to jail. Other than that, things would be perfect.

But after Chihiro left the Oowada home, Mondo never answered. He didn't message back, he didn't pick up phone calls. He fell quiet again.

And the weekend wrapped up quicker than Chihiro expected. Before he knew it, he was sitting in class among his other students as if he had never left. Some of them asked questions about Mondo and when he would be returning. Chihiro could only respond with soon because he wasn't sure. Although they had talked things out and Mondo was on the path to accepting himself, he had to actually do it. He had to swallow his pride and storm back into this school. He had to let his fellow students know the truth. But he hadn't returned. And Chihiro hadn't spoke to him since coming back to the academy.

Of course it was on his mind, and he jumped from being impatient to upset to angry about fifty times a day. Anytime one of his fellow students brought up Mondo, it only made Chihiro more nervous. They still all assumed that Chihiro had lied. They thought the programmer visited Mondo to apologize, not to receive an apology. Sitting in the middle of class without a hint of what the boy was up to ushered another apology in Chihiro's eyes. The seat behind him was empty, as it had been for weeks. Maybe Mondo wasn't coming back.

A couple seats to his right, Junko fiddled with the end of her pigtail. She hadn't been sleeping through class recently. Too interested in the chatter between the class about Mondo's state of well being. Or the crumbling relationship between him and Chihiro. She was the most persistent among the crowd, but only when the crowd was watching. Because she knew the truth. But she was intent on keeping up with her lie to make Chihiro feel like an awful person in front of his friends. Although he knew better. He had nothing to be ashamed or afraid of. But he had to pretend his did for the sake of Mondo. If he ever came back.

Chihiro reached down to the side of his desk, pretending to search for something within his back pack. Glancing down, he took a peek at his phone. Nothing. No calls. No texts. Not a single thing from his dear boyfriend. It was like the past weekend never happened. After a successful breakthrough, it was hard to imagine Mondo's mother was preventing contact. She was stern and terrifying, but in Mondo's words, she loved Chihiro. And the way he made Mondo smile. Sighing, he let the phone drop back into his bag and sat upright. He wasn't coming back.

And now he had to spend the rest of his high school life in a shameful lie. Maybe when Mondo didn't come back, he could finally open up about Junko's lie months from now. Everyone knew she was manipulative, but the way the events fell, no one even suspected she was wrong. Because to everyone else, why would she know the truth? From what Chihiro understood, no one noticed Mondo and Junko being an item. They didn't speak, they didn't even argue in public. There was no reason for anyone to believe that Mondo and Junko spoke in private. Or that she was knew such a deep secret. Calling her out in the future was going to feel so good.

Chihiro sighed. He was stooping to her level again. Thinking of the ways he could just destroy her. Even if it were for revenge, he didn't want anyone to feel bad any longer. Just move on with a wonderful relationship in his rear view mirror. Spend his time rekindling relationships with his fellow classmates. Without the overbearing sense that they couldn't trust him. Class was only another couple hours now. They would be stopping the lecture for a brief break soon. Chihiro needed it to collect his composure. The first week without Mondo there was hard. Although it was getting easier expecting to be alone, it still hurt.

He shut his eyes and leaned forward against his desk as a bell chimed, folding his arms along the top. The teacher packed his things and scooted out of the room. Some students stood and stretched with their little bit of freedom. Many turned to talk to those around them. Chihiro just sighed and pressed his forehead into his folded arms. A ten minute peace period of shut eyes and self reminders that he would just need to be strong. Continue being strong like he had been recently. Strong enough to stand up to himself and move on from this terrible situation. Because the fact was, Mondo just wasn't...

The classroom door slid open with frightening force, startling every student into the room. Leon didn't even have the chance to make it out before he was back stepping towards his desk in confusion. “Hey, you're back, man!” the ball player then exclaimed but Mondo just swept right past him. The biker stood with his shoulders hunched forward. One arm clutched the strap of his bag dangling over his back. The bruises had almost faded to completion, but darkness was still dabbed in his eyes. Chihiro pushed himself up from the desktop, resisting the urge to flee to the front of the room. He wanted to throw his arms around his partner, but rather gave the rest of the class a chance to react.

And they reacted with silence, staring at their classmate who had been gone for weeks now. They last time they saw him, he was storming out of the cafeteria drunk. Hurt. Deceived. Not a single person in his room knew what was fleeing through his mind at the moment. Chihiro thought he did, but he reserved any comments until Mondo was ready to speak up for himself. Leon took a slow seat into his desk, everyone waiting in anxiety for their friends words.

Mondo just stood there, one hand on his hip and his glance towards the ground. He looked angry, his eyebrows burrowed and a grimace laced on his lips. “Say something,” Chihiro thought to himself, taking a second to watch the class. They were worried. Confused. A couple of them smiled to see their friend return, but most just waited. Clenching his fingers around the edge of the desk, Chihiro leaned back in his chair. His body shook and his lip quivered. “Just say something.”

Letting his arm slip to the side, Mondo dropped his back pack against the ground. He bunched up his shoulders and opened his mouth like he was about to let the words spill, but nothing came out. He couldn't form his sentences because they weren't piecing together in his head. He knew what he wanted to say, but it just wasn't happening. And Chihiro wasn't speaking up for him. Because that wasn't Chihiro's place anymore. He needed to be strong for himself.

Mondo licked his lower lip, clearing his throat. With his attention still intent on the ground, he muttered out, “I... love Chihiro.” It was quiet, but with the deafening silence in the room, it was heard loud and clear. A smile crept onto Chihiro's face as his body relaxed in the chair. He thought about looking at the reactions, but didn't want to tear his eyes away from his partner. Even if Mondo wasn't looking back, Chihiro's stare was enough to shoot him confidence. Mondo took in another long, shaking breath, refusing to look up from the ground. It was easier not seeing his friend's reactions. They all had weeks to make their assumptions, now they needed to know the truth. “I really love Chihiro, alright... and...”

Junko shifted her weight forward in her desk, her jaw dropping open. Chihiro darted his attention to the right, watching her face contort in annoyance. “But he lied to you,” she refuted, slamming her fist against the desk top. Why was she even fighting? Both Mondo and Chihiro knew Junko knew the truth. What was arguing going to do now? Unless Mondo went along with it.

Luckily for Chihiro, that wasn't going to happen. “No he didn't.” A few quiet gasps leaked from the class and Chihiro let his face drop into his hand. Not from embarrassment. But because he was proud. And Junko was turning a lovely shade of red. Anger wasn't a good look for her. “I've known since-”

“Uh, yeah, he did!” the eager blonde interrupted, letting her hands drop at her side. She looked around at the rest of the class, trying to gain their support against the fighting couple.

“No!” Mondo finally growled, stepping through a few desks to slam his hands against her desk top. Junko squeaked, leaning back in her chair as she came face to face with someone she could once call hers. He stared at her bright blue eyes with an intense look of irritation. His lip curled back like a furious wolf. “He didn't lie to me so you can stop fuckin' lying to everyone! You know better!”

Junko's face continued to beam red and she wrinkled her nose while plundering her brain for a retort. She didn't expect Mondo to own up to his feelings. This obviously wasn't according to her plan. The man stood up and stepped back a couple feet to stand before his classmates. His body tensed up and he returned to staring at the ground. “I've known since the day before we started dating, because he was honest with me. He told me because he trusted me and...” Chihiro bit down on his lip hard because he never got the opportunity to tell anyone this. These were things he wanted to say at the start in his defense, but wanted nothing more than Mondo's well being. So she hid it down, thinking he would never tell the truth. But Mondo was actually doing it. He was actually speaking up for once.

“You know, I was really mad at first but... like...” A long pause. Silence, but a calm silence. Silence that told Chihiro everything would be alright. Mondo wasn't speechless because he didn't want to speak. He was speechless because he wasn't sure how to form the words the way he wanted. “The more I thought about him, the more I realized... how much I needed someone like him in my life.” The programmer's heart swelled and he stared down at his shiny desktop with a beaming red face. From the corner of his eye, he could see a couple students also swooning over the biker's sweet words. Sayaka sat with her hands pressed against her reddened cheeks. And Ashaina held the biggest smile across her lips.

But Junko fumed. Her hands clenched the edge of the desk and she leaned back hard into her chair. She hated when others proved her wrong. Especially after the months she spent trying to sabotage the two. Because of jealousy? Because of her dislike of happiness in others? “But that makes you gay,” she murmured. Chihiro cringed. It wasn't a bad thing by any means, but the way the word fell from her lips, it sounded disgusting. “Isn't that against gang law or something? Your brother would be so ashamed of you...”

Chihiro's jaw dropped and Mondo stared down at the floor. Of all the things she could have said to edge him on, that was the one thing that would get her murdered. And Junko knew it. She knew bringing up his brother would throw a dagger through his heart. Even after his passing, Mondo thought a lot about what his brother would see in him now. Chihiro had heard nothing but great things about the incredible gang leader. He hoped Daiya would be supportive of all Mondo's actions. As long as it ensured his happiness. But Junko just wanted people on her side. She just wanted the class to hate them all. She just wanted to see the two of them fall apart piece by piece. It was time to step in. Chihiro needed to say something and stand up for his boyfriend once again. This could fall apart just like she wanted it to. Mondo wanted everyone's approval. If even one person went against him, he could withdraw again.

Just as the tiny boy pressed his hands against the desktop to come to a full stand, Mondo shrugged. “So. Fucking. What. What the hell does it matter what that makes me?” He said it with a smile. An angry one, but a smile. “I'm happy with Chihiro, and if any of you fuckers are against that, then you can just fight me.” Chihiro relaxed his fingers against his desk as Mondo swept up his backpack from the ground. He slunk over to his normal spot and slumped down into the desk behind Chihiro. The smaller boy bit down a smile as he turned his body to face his partner. When he caught the face of accomplishment on Mondo, he couldn't help but let his smile grow. “Hi, punk,” Mondo muttered, reaching out to scratch his finger against Chihiro's shoulder.

“But, but!” Junko continued from her spot as the rest of the class slowly began to dissipate into low chatter. “But Chihiro-”

“Give it a rest, Junko,” Asahina sighed, shaking her head with her hands out to her sides. “We all knew you were lying to begin with.”

“Yeah, you do that shit all the time. We knew Chihiro wouldn't hurt someone like that,” Leon piped in from his spot within the doorway. The model looked around the room, her eyebrows crossed along her forehead. She clenched her fist and slammed it against the desk top, ignoring a few more comments from the class. Finally, she sprang from her desk and ejected herself from the room. But of course not before shouting a few unhappy expletives to her friends.

The door slammed behind her and a couple students laughed at her antics. But Chihiro just stared at his boyfriend, a bright smile gracing his cheeks. He wanted to cry. Just like he assumed, everything was alright. The class didn't hate them. Mondo returned, and they were happily sitting beside one another as a couple. "We have missed you," Ishimaru cried out. He ran beside the both of them, slamming his hand against Mondo's back.

"Fujisaki-san said you crashed your bike," Naegi then interjected. The boy narrowed his eyes as he searched the now minor bruises along Mondo's face. Little by little, the class gathered around them in happiness for their friend's return.

"We shouldn't have let you leave that night!" Ishimaru continued, and the chatter erupted. Everyone asking about his well being. About what he did while he was away. Offering help for homework. And a few people even mentioned how proud they were of him. And the whole time, Mondo just smiled, surrounded by his friends. The friends he thought would think poorly of him if he admitted the truth. The classmates he assumed would abandon him. The people he was afraid to come home to. His friends gathered around him, happy to see him back within the academy.

Biting down on his lip, Chihiro pressed the palm of his hand against his blushing cheek. He loved the way his boyfriend's face lit up just talking to their friends. For the first time in year, Mondo looked like he knew he belonged. And that he didn't have to keep up some tough act. He smiled through his bruises and shrugged off the pain he had endured while away. He didn't need to be tough, but he couldn't drop his whole hardcore reputation. With all the conversation, Mondo couldn't get a word in. He just sat back and watched all his friends drop their concerns in his lap.

The bell chimed, signifying the end of their break. As the teacher entered the classroom, everyone return to their desks, except for Junko. She didn't return, and she probably wouldn't the rest of the day. In Chihiro's eyes, he wouldn't mind if she never came back. But she would. And she would continue to try to pull them apart. But she would only have to try harder from now on. After addressing Mondo's return to class, the teacher began their next lecture.

Leaning against the back of his chair, he felt Mondo folding his arms against the top of his desk. Just like before, ready to take a nap the second their lecture began. His knuckles rested between Chihiro's shoulders as he played with his boyfriend's hair. The boy giggled beneath his breath and bunched up his shoulders at the sweet feeling. It felt right.

They would spend the rest of their high school life together. They would share many more nights snuggled beneath the covers in each others. They would graduate. Mondo would meet his parents. One day they might get an apartment. And a puppy. A small one that stayed small even after it wasn't a puppy anymore. And Mondo would be okay with it all. He would sit comfortable in his own skin and they would remain strong together. There was a tap against his shoulder and Chihiro peeked back to find Mondo with a folded up paper in his hand. With a sideways smirk, the programmer snatched up the note and carefully opened it along his desk top. Flirting was fun, but he didn't want Mondo to land into detention on his first day back.

In big sloppy letters, Mondo wrote, “You were right. Everything's okay. I love you.” Chihiro almost melted into a puddle reading those words. He pressed his hand against his heart and glanced over his shoulder to see his partner staring back at him. Sleep filled eyes and a look of content relief.

Pointing to the note, Chihiro took in a long, happy breath and mouthed, “I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done! Shorter final chapter, but only because I wasn't so sure what else I could add. Everything wrapped up nicely and now they're happy. SO NOW it's time for me to finish the other two things I have going, as well as start something new where they probably won't end up happy because I like to torture my favorite ships. And I'm in a horror writing mood. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me, and I'm sorry this took so long to finish! But now this one is complete. You've all been awesome! CATCH YOU NEXT TIME.


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